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UML Diagram Guidelines |
Unified Modeling Language (UML) is a standard notation for diagrams used primarily for software design. It is an approved ISO Standard. In IT&C 210A we use UML Activity diagrams. In IT&C 210B we will add UML Sequence Diagrams.
For this class, you can create your UML diagrams using the graphical tool of your choice. Microsoft PowerPoint and Visio have some UML symbols built-in. LucidChart has specific support for UML diagrams of various sorts. DrawIo is another good choice. Regardless of source, you should generate an image file in .png, .svg, or .jpeg format to include with your writeup.
UML Activity Diagrams are also known as Flow Charts. They describe a sequence of operations typically performed by a computer or system of computers. Here is an example:
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An activity diagram may have partitions, also known as swim lanes. An activity diagram with partitions tends to have a lot of horizontal lines that show the handoff of control between different parts of the system.
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Here is a good Activity Diagram Tutorial.
UML Class Diagrams are like Entity-Relationship Diagrams (ERD) used in data modeling with the enhancement that Class Diagrams can represent inheritance and can include methods in addition to data elements. It is not necessary for your Class Diagrams to include inheritance or methods.
Class Diagrams represent entities such as records in a database. They show the properties (a.k.a "fields") within those entities. And they show the relationships between entities.
Here is a simple example that does include both methods and inheritance:
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Here is a good Class Diagram Tutorial.
A UML Sequence Diagram shows a series of messages passed between actors in a system. They are particularly useful to describe protocols where servers communicate between each other.
Here is an example of a sequence diagram:
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And here is a Sequence Diagram Tutorial.