This presentation will describe two diagrams defined in the UML 2.0 specification and explain their strengths in featuring some of the important aspects of Object-Oriented design. These diagrams are not better or worse than other UML diagrams you may have worked with, but they offer specialized views of a system that may better serve to express the concepts you are attempting to model.<\/p>\n
Composite Structure diagrams explore the internal organization of classes. It can be used to explicitly describe a class as a composition of other classes. The model can also show how the contained classes interact in the working implementation.<\/p>\n
Component diagrams allow modelers to provide a simplified, high-order view of of a large system. Classifying groups of classes into components supports the interchangeability and reuse of code. This diagram documents how these components are composed and how they interact in a system.<\/p>\n
Composite structure diagram<\/b>\u00a0in the\u00a0Unified Modeling Language<\/a>\u00a0(UML) is a type of\u00a0static structure diagram<\/a>, that shows the internal structure of a\u00a0class<\/a>\u00a0and the\u00a0collaborations<\/i>\u00a0that this structure makes possible.<\/p>\n This diagram can include internal\u00a0parts<\/i>,\u00a0ports<\/i>\u00a0through which the parts interact with each other or through which instances of the class interact with the parts and with the outside world, and\u00a0connectors<\/i>\u00a0between parts or ports. A\u00a0composite structure<\/i>\u00a0is a set of interconnected elements that collaborate at runtime to achieve some purpose. Each element has some defined\u00a0role<\/i>\u00a0in the collaboration.<\/p>\n The key composite structure entities identified in the UML 2.0 specification are structured classifiers, parts, ports, connectors, and collaborations.<\/sup><\/p>\n In\u00a0Unified Modeling Language<\/a>\u00a0(UML), a\u00a0component diagram<\/b>\u00a0depicts how\u00a0components<\/a>\u00a0are wired together to form larger components or\u00a0software systems<\/a>. They are used to illustrate the structure of arbitrarily complex systems.<\/p>\n A component diagram allows verification that a system’s required functionality is acceptable. These diagrams are also used as a communication tool between the developer and stakeholders of the system. Programmers and developers use the diagrams to formalize a roadmap for the implementation, allowing for better decision-making about task assignment or needed skill improvements. System administrators can use component diagrams to plan ahead, using the view of the logical software components and their relationships on the system.<\/sup><\/p>\n The component diagram extends the information given in a component notation element. One way of illustrating the provided and required\u00a0interfaces<\/a>\u00a0by the specified component is in the form of a rectangular compartment attached to the component element. Another accepted way of presenting the interfaces is to use the\u00a0ball-and-socket graphic convention<\/a>. A\u00a0provided<\/i>\u00a0dependency from a component to an interface is illustrated with a solid line to the component using the interface from a “lollipop”, or ball, labelled with the name of the interface. A\u00a0required<\/i>\u00a0usage dependency from a component to an interface is illustrated by a half-circle, or socket, labelled with the name of the interface, attached by a solid line to the component that requires this interface. Inherited interfaces may be shown with a lollipop, preceding the name label with a\u00a0caret<\/a>\u00a0symbol. To illustrate dependencies between the two, use a solid line with a plain arrowhead joining the socket to the lollipop.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Concepts<\/span><\/h5>\n
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Component diagram<\/h4>\n
Overview<\/span><\/h5>\n
Diagram elements<\/span><\/h5>\n