UML Basics

Unified Modeling Language (UML) makes it possible to describe systems with words and pictures. It can be used to model a variety of systems: software systems, business systems, or any other system. Especially notable are the various graphical charts—use case diagrams with their stick figures or the widely used class diagrams. While these diagrams aren’t fundamentally new, the worldwide unification of modeling languages is new with UML, which was standardized by the Object Management Group (OMG), an international association that promotes open standards for object-oriented applications.

Note: The intention of this post is for quick reference to the most basic UML diagrams.

Basic Building Blocks

Boxes

Messages, states, and actions

Relationships

Types of modeling

Structural Modeling

1.       Things

a.       Physical

b.       Conceptual

2.       Static Parts

3.       Nouns

Diagrams

Class diagram

Implementation and inheritance

Relationships

Basic Class Diagram

Component diagram

Connected Components              

Basic Component Diagram

Package diagram

Basic Package Diagram

Deployment diagram

Behavioral Modeling

1.       Functionality

a.       Processes

b.       Interactions

2.       Dynamic Parts

3.       Verbs

Diagrams

Use-Case diagram

Sequence diagram

State diagram

Activity diagram