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Digging Deeper: Class Diagrams: Composition and Aggregation

All class diagrams have classes, links, and multiplicities. But a class diagram can show even more information. Compositions class member visibility and scope dependencies and constraints interfaces.

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32 views

Digging Deeper: Class Diagrams: Composition and Aggregation

All class diagrams have classes, links, and multiplicities. But a class diagram can show even more information. Compositions class member visibility and scope dependencies and constraints interfaces.

Uploaded by

vinaymadireddy
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Digging Deeper: Class Diagrams

All class diagrams have classes, links, and multiplicities. But a class diagram can show even
more information. We've already looked at generalization, aggregation, and navigability. In
this page, we will look at these additional items as well.

 compositions
 class member visibility and scope
 dependencies and constraints
 interfaces

Composition and aggregation


Associations in which an object is part of a whole are aggregations. Composition is a strong
association in which the part can belong to only one whole -- the part cannot exist without the
whole. Composition is denoted by a filled diamond at the whole end.

This diagram shows that a BoxOffice belongs to exactly one MovieTheater. Destroy the
MovieTheater and the BoxOffice goes away! The collection of Movies is not so closely
bound to the MovieTheater.

Class information: visibility and scope


The class notation is a 3-piece rectangle with the class name, attributes, and operations.
Attributes and operations can be labeled according to access and scope. Here is a new,
expanded Order class.
The illustration uses the following UML™ conventions.

 Static members are underlined. Instance members are not.


 The operations follow this form:
<access specifier> <name> ( <parameter list>) : <return type>
 The parameter list shows each parameter type preceded by a colon.
 Access specifiers appear in front of each member.

Symbol Access
+ public

- private

# protected

Dependencies and constraints


A dependency is a relation between two classes in which a change in one may force changes
in the other. Dependencies are drawn as dotted lines. In the class diagram below, Co_op
depends on Company. If you decide to modify Company, you may have to change Co_op
too.
A constraint is a condition that every implementation of the design must satisfy. Constraints
are written in curly braces { }. The constraint on our diagram indicates that a Section can be
part of a CourseSchedule only if it is not canceled.

Interfaces and stereotypes


An interface is a set of operation signatures. In C++, interfaces are implemented as abstract
classes with only pure virtual members. in Java, they're implemented directly.

The class diagram below is a model of a professional conference. The classes of interest to the
conference are SessionTalk, which is a single presentation, and Session, which is a one-day
collection of related SessionTalks. The ShuttleSchedule with its list of ShuttleStops is
important to the attendees staying at remote hotels. The diagram has one constraint, that the
ShuttleStops are ordered.
There are three interfaces in the diagram: IDated, ILocatable, and ITimed. The names of
interfaces typically begin with the letter I. Interface names along with their (abstract)
operations are written in italics.

A class such as ShuttleStop, with operations matching those in an interface, such as


ILocatable, is an implementation (or realization) of the interface.

The ShuttleStop class node has the stereotype << place>>. Stereotypes, which provide a
way of extending UML, are new kinds of model elements created from existing kinds. A
stereotype name is written above the class name. Ordinary stereotype names are enclosed in
guillemets, which look like pairs of angle-braces. An interface is a special kind of stereotype.

There are two acceptable notations for interfaces in the UML. The first is illustrated above. The
second uses the lollipop or circle notation.
In circle notation, the interfaces are circles with lines connected to the implementing classes.
Since it is more compact but leaves out some detail, the lollipop notation simplifies the original
diagram.

Copyright © 2003 Borland Software Corporation. All rights reserved.

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