UML
| Back to: | CIRM Knowledge Base |
| Last update: | October 2020 |
| Page completeness level: | Medium |
Overview
UML is a way of visualizing a software program using a collection of diagrams. The notation has evolved to be used for object-oriented design, but it has since been extended to cover a wider variety of software engineering projects. Today, UML is accepted by the Object Management Group (OMG) as the standard for modeling software development.
What is Meant by UML
UML stands for Unified Modeling Language. UML 2.0 helped extend the original UML specification to cover a wider portion of software development efforts including agile practices.
- Improved integration between structural models like class diagrams and behavior models like activity diagrams.
- Added the ability to define a hierarchy and decompose a software system into components and sub-components.
- The original UML specified nine diagrams; UML 2.x brings that number up to 13. The four new diagrams are called: communication diagram, composite structure diagram, interaction overview diagram, and timing diagram. It also renamed statechart diagrams to state machine diagrams, also known as state diagrams.
Types of UML Diagrams
The current UML standards call for 13 different types of diagrams: class, activity, object, use case, sequence, package, state, component, communication, composite structure, interaction overview, timing, and deployment.
These diagrams are organized into two distinct groups: structural diagrams and behavioral or interaction diagrams.
Structural UML diagrams
- Class diagram
- Package diagram
- Object diagram
- Component diagram
- Composite structure diagram
- Deployment diagram
Behavioral UML diagrams
- Activity diagram
- Sequence diagram
- Use case diagram
- State diagram
- Communication diagram
- Interaction overview diagram
- Timing diagram
