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UML diagrams Class diagrams overview Class Interface Data type Property Operation Multiplicity Visibility Constraint Object Association
Aggregation Composition Generalization Dependency Abstraction Nested classifiers Reference Examples UML index

UML Class Diagrams Reference

Notation Description
Class

A class is a classifier which describes a set of objects that share the same
features
constraints
semantics (meaning).

Class Customer - details suppressed. A class is shown as a solid-outline rectangle containing the class name, and optionally with compartments separated by
horizontal lines containing features or other members of the classifier.

When class is shown with three compartments, the middle compartment holds a list of attributes and the bottom
compartment holds a list of operations. Attributes and operations should be left justified in plain face, with the
first letter of the names in lower case.

Class SearchService - analysis level details

Middle compartment holds attributes and the bottom one holds operations.

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 Class SearchService - implementation level details. The
createEngine is static operation.

Attributes or operations may be grouped by visibility. A visibility keyword or symbol in this case can be given once for
multiple features with the same visibility.

Class SearchService - attributes and operations grouped by

visibility.

Utility is class that has only class scoped static attributes and operations. As such, utility class usually has no
instances.

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 Math is utility class - having static attributes and operations
(underlined)

Abstract Class

Abstract class was defined in UML 1.4.2 as class that can't be directly instantiated. No object may be a direct
instance of an abstract class.

UML 2.4 mentions abstract class but provides no definition. We may assume that in UML 2.x abstract class does not
have complete declaration and "typically" can not be instantiated.
Class SearchRequest is abstract class.
The name of an abstract class is shown in italics.

Nested Classifiers

A class or interface could be used as a namespace for various classifiers including other classes, interfaces, use
cases, etc. This nesting of classifier limits the visibility of the classifier defined in the class to the scope of the
namespace of the containing class or interface.

In obsolete UML 1.4.2 a declaring class and a class in its namespace may be shown connected by a line, with an
"anchor" icon on the end connected to a declaring class (namespace). An anchor icon is a cross inside a circle.

UML 2.x specifications provide no explicit notation for the nesting by classes. Note, that UML's 1.4 "anchor" notation is
still used in one example in UML 2.4.x for packages as an "alternative membership notation".

Class LinkedList is nesting the Element interface. The Element

is in scope of the LinkedList namespace.

Class Template

UML classes could be templated or bound.

The example to the left shows bound class Customers with substitution of the unconstrained parameter class T with
class Customer and boundary parameter n with the integer value 24.

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 Template class Array and bound class Customers. The
Customers class is an Array of 24 objects of Customer class.

Interface

An interface is a classifier that declares of a set of coherent public features and obligations. An interface specifies a
contract.

In UML 1.4 interface was formally equivalent to an abstract class with no attributes and no methods and only
abstract operations.
Interface SiteSearch.
An interface may be shown using a rectangle symbol with the keyword interface preceding the name.

The obligations that may be associated with an interface are in the form of various kinds of constraints (such as pre-
and postconditions) or protocol specifications, which may impose ordering restrictions on interactions through the
interface.

Interface Pageable

Interface participating in the interface realization dependency is shown as a circle or ball, labeled with the name of

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 the interface and attached by a solid line to the classifier that realizes this interface.

Interface SiteSearch is realized (implemented) by

SearchService.

The usage dependency from a classifier to an interface is shown by representing the interface by a half-circle or
socket, labeled with the name of the interface, attached by a solid line to the classifier that requires this interface.

Interface SiteSearch is used (required) by SearchController.

Object

Object is an instance of a class or an interface. Object is not a UML element by itself. Objects are rendered as
instance specifications, usually on object diagrams.

Class instance (object) could have no name, be anonymous.

Anonymous instance of the Customer class.

In some cases, class of the instance is unknown or not specified. When instance name is also not provided, the notation
for such an anonymous instance of an unnamed classifier is simply underlined colon - :.

Instance newPatient of the unnamed or unknown class.

Class instance (object) could have instance name, class and namespace (package) specified.

Instance front-facing-cam of the Camera class from

android.hardware package.

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 If an instance has some value, the value specification is shown either after an equal sign ('=') following the instance
name, or without the equal sign below the name.

Instance orderPaid of the Date class

has value July 31, 2011 3:00 pm.

Slots are shown as structural features with the feature name followed by an equal sign ('=') and a value
specification. Type (classifier) of the feature could be also shown.

Instance newPatient of the Patient class

has slots with values specified.

Data Type

A data type is a classifier - similar to a class - whose instances are identified only by their value.

A data type is shown using rectangle symbol with keyword dataType.

DateTime data type

A data type may contain attributes and operations to support the modeling of structured data types.

Structured data type Address

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 When data type is referenced by, e.g., as the type of a class attribute, it is shown simply as the name of the data type.

Attributes of the Patient class are of data types Name, Gender,

DateTime, Address and Visit.

Primitive Type

A primitive type is a data type which represents atomic data values, i.e. values having no parts or structure. A
primitive data type may have precise semantics and operations defined outside of UML, for example, mathematically.

Standard UML primitive types include:

Boolean,
Integer,
Primitive data type Weight. UnlimitedNatural,
String.

A primitive type has the keyword primitive above or before the name of the primitive type.

Enumeration

An enumeration is a data type whose values are enumerated in the model as user-defined enumeration literals.

An enumeration may be shown using the classifier notation (a rectangle) with the keyword enumeration. The
name of the enumeration is placed in the upper compartment.

A list of enumeration literals may be placed, one to a line, in the bottom compartment. The attributes and operations
compartments may be suppressed, and typically are suppressed if they would be empty.

Enumeration AccountType.

Feature

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 Feature overview diagram

Association Qualifier

A qualifier is a property which defines a partition of the set of associated instances with respect to an instance at the
qualified end.

Qualifiers are used to model hash maps in Java, dictionaries in C#, index tables, etc. where fast access to linked
object(s) is provided using qualifier as a hash key, search argument or index.

A qualifier is shown as a small rectangle attached to the end of an association between the final path segment and the
Given a company and a social security number (SSN) at most symbol of the classifier that it connects to. The qualifier rectangle is part of the association, not part of the classifier. A
one employee could be found. qualifier may not be suppressed.

In the case in which the target multiplicity is 0..1, the qualifier value is unique with respect to the qualified object, and
designates at most one associated object.

In the case of target multiplicity 0..*, the set of associated instances is partitioned into possibly empty subsets, each
selected by a given qualifier instance.

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 Given a library and author name none to many books could be
found.

UML 2.4 specification is gibberish explaining multiplicity of qualifier:

The multiplicity of a qualifier is given assuming that the qualifier value is supplied. The raw multiplicity
without the qualifier is assumed to be 0..*. This is not fully general but it is almost always adequate, as a
situation in which the raw multiplicity is 1 would best be modeled without a qualifier.
Given chessboard and specific rank and file we'll locate exactly
1 square. UML specification provides no lucid explanation of
what multiplicity 1 means for qualifier.

Operation

Operation is a behavioral feature of a classifier that specifies the name, type, parameters, and constraints for
invoking an associated behavior.

When operation is shown in a diagram, the text should conform to the syntax defined in UML specification. Note, that
UML 2.2 to 2.4 specifications seem to have wrong nesting for operation's properties, making presence of the properties
dependent on the presence of return type. The syntax provided here is non-normative and different from the one in the
UML 2.4 specification:

operation ::= [ visibility ] signature [ oper-properties ]

Operation executeQuery is public, isPoolable - protected,
getQueryTimeout - with package visibility, and clearWarnings Visibility of the operation is optional, and if present, it should be one of:
is private.
visibility ::= '+' | '-' | '#' | '~'

Signature of the operation has optional parameter list and return specification.

signature ::= name '(' [ parameter-list ] ')' [ ':' return-spec ]

Name is the name of the operation. Parameter-list is a list of parameters of the operation in the following format:

parameter-list ::= parameter [ ',' parameter ]*

parameter ::= [ direction ] parm-name ':' type-expression [ '[' multiplicity ']' ] [ '=' default ] [ parm-
File has two static operations - create and slashify. Create has properties ]
two parameters and returns File. Slashify is private operation.
Operation listFiles returns array of files. Operations getName Parm-name is the name of the parameter. Type-expression is an expression that specifies the type of the parameter.
Multiplicity is the multiplicity of the parameter. Default is an expression that defines the value specification for the

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 and listFiles either have no parameters or parameters were default value of the parameter. Parameter list can be suppressed.
suppressed.

Direction of parameter is described as one of:

direction ::= 'in' | 'out' | 'inout' | 'return'

and defaults to 'in' if omitted.

Optional parm-properties describe additional property values that apply to the parameter.

parm-properties ::= '{' parm-property [ ',' parm-property ]* '}'

Operation setDaemon has one input parameter, while single
Optional return specification is defined as:
parameter of changeName is both input and output parameter.
Static enumerate returns integer result while also having return-spec ::= [ return-type ] [ '[' multiplicity ']' ]
output parameter - array of threads. Operation isDaemon is
shown with return type parameter. It is presentation option Return type is the type of the result, if it was defined for the operation. Return specification also has optional
equivalent to returning operation result as: +isDaemon(): multiplicity of the return type.
Boolean.

Properties of the operation are optional, and if present should follow the rule:

oper-properties ::= '{' oper-property [ ',' oper-property ]* '}'

oper-property ::= 'redefines' oper-name | 'query' | 'ordered' | 'unique' | oper-constraint

Properties of operation describe operation in general or return parameter, and are defined as:
redefines oper-name - operation redefines an inherited operation identified by oper-name;
Operation check redefines inherited operation status from the
query - operation does not change the state of the system;
superclass. Operation getPublicKey does not change the state of
ordered - the values of the return parameter are ordered;
the system. Operation getCerts returns ordered array of
unique - the values returned by the parameter have no duplicates;
Certificates without duplicates.
oper-constraint - is a constraint that applies to the operation.

Abstract Operation

Abstract operation in UML 1.4.2 was defined as operation without implementation - "class does not implement the
operation". Implementation had to be supplied by a descendant of the class.

Abstract operation in UML 1.4.2 was shown with its signature in italics or marked as {abstract}.

There is neither definition nor notion for abstract operation in UML 2.4.

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 Constraint

Constraint could have an optional name, though usually it is anonymous. A constraint is shown as a text string in
curly braces according to the syntax:

constraint ::= '{' [ name ':' ] boolean-expression '}'

For an element whose notation is a text string (such as a class attribute, etc.), the constraint string may follow the
element text string in curly braces.
Bank account attribute constraints - non empty owner and
positive balance.

For a Constraint that applies to two elements (such as two classes or two associations), the constraint may be shown
as a dashed line between the elements labeled by the constraint string in curly braces.

Account owner is either Person or Corporation, {xor} is

predefined UML constraint.

The constraint string may be placed in a note symbol and attached to each of the symbols for the constrained elements
by a dashed line.

Bank account constraints - non empty owner and positive

balance

Multiplicity

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 Multiplicity is a definition of an inclusive interval of non-negative integers to specify the allowable number of
instances of described element.

Multiplicity could be described with the following non-normative syntax rules:

multiplicity ::= multiplicity-range [ '{' multiplicity-options '}' ]

Some typical examples of multiplicity bounds:

0 Collection must be empty

1 Exactly one instance

5 Exactly 5 instances

* Zero or more instances

Multiplicity of Players for Soccer Team class. 0..1 No instances or one instance

1..1 Exactly one instance

0..* Zero or more instances

1..* At least one instance

m..n At least m but no more than n instances

Multiplicity options could also specify of whether the values in an instantiation of the element should be unique
and/or ordered:
multiplicity-options ::=
order-designator [ ',' uniqueness-designator ] |
Customer has none to many purchases. Purchases are in uniqueness-designator [ ',' order-designator ]
specific order and each one is unique (by default). order-designator ::= 'ordered' | 'unordered'
uniqueness-designator ::= 'unique' | 'nonunique'

If multiplicity element is multivalued and specified as ordered, then the collection of values in an instantiation of this
element is sequentially ordered. By default, collections are not ordered.

If multiplicity element is multivalued and specified as unique, then each value in the collection of values in an
instantiation of this element must be unique. By default, each value in collection is unique.

Data Source could have a Logger and has ordered pool of min
to max Connections. Each Connection is unique (by default).

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 Visibility

Visibility allows to constrain the usage of a named element, either in namespaces or in access to the element. It is
used with classes, packages, generalizations, element import, package import.

UML has the following types of visibility:

public (+)
package (~)
protected (#)
private (-)
Operation executeQuery is public, isPoolable - protected,
getQueryTimeout - with package visibility, and clearWarnings If a named element is not owned by any namespace, then it does not have a visibility.
is private.

Association

Association is a relationship between classifiers which is used to show that instances of classifiers could be either
linked to each other or combined logically or physically into some aggregation.

It is normally drawn as a solid line connecting associated classifiers.

Binary association relates two typed instances. It is normally rendered as a solid line connecting two classifiers, or a
solid line connecting a single classifier to itself (the two ends are distinct). The line may consist of one or more
connected segments.

Job is associated with Year.

A small solid triangle could be placed next to or in place of the name of binary association (drawn as a solid line) to
show the order of the ends of the association. The arrow points along the line in the direction of the last end in the
order of the association ends. This notation also indicates that the association is to be read from the first end to the last
end.

Order of the ends and reading: Car - was designed in - Year

Any association may be drawn as a diamond (larger than a terminator on a line) with a solid line for each association
end connecting the diamond to the classifier that is the ends type. N-ary association with more than two ends can
only be drawn this way.

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 Ternary association Design relating three classifiers.

Aggregation
Aggregation (aka shared aggregation) is shown as binary association decorated with a hollow diamond as a
terminal adornment at the aggregate end of the association line.

Search Service has a Query Builder using shared

aggregation

Composite Aggregation (Composition)

Composite aggregation (aka composition) is a "strong" form of aggregation.

Composition is depicted as binary association decorated with a filled black diamond at the aggregate (composite)
end.
Folder could contain many files, while each File has exactly one
Folder parent. If Folder is deleted, all contained Files are
deleted as well.

When composition is used in domain models, both whole/part relationship as well as event of composite "deletion"
should be interpreted figuratively, not necessarily as physical containment and/or termination.

Hospital has 1 or more Departments, and each Department

belongs to exactly one Hospital.
If Hospital is closed, so are all of its Departments.

Multiplicity of the composite (whole) could be specified as 0..1 ("at most one") which means that part is allowed to be a

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 "stand alone", not owned by any specific composite.

Each Department has some Staff, and each Staff could be a

member of one Department (or none). If Department is closed,
its Staff is relieved (but excluding the "stand alone" Staff).

Ownership of Association End

Ownership of association ends by an associated classifier may be indicated graphically by a small filled circle
(aka dot). The dot is drawn at the point where line meets the classifier. It could be interpreted as showing that the
model includes a property of the type represented by the classifier touched by the dot. This property is owned by the
classifier at the other end.
Association end query is owned by classifier QueryBuilder
and association end qbuilder is owned by association Builds
itself.

Attribute notation can be used for an association end owned by a class, because an association end owned by a class
is also an attribute. This notation may be used in conjunction with the line arrow notation to make it perfectly clear
that the attribute is also an association end.

Association end qb is an attribute of SearchService class

and is owned by the class.

Association Navigability
No adornment on the end of an association means unspecified navigability.

Both ends of association have unspecified navigability.

Navigable end is indicated by an open arrowhead on the end of an association.

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 A2 has unspecified navigability while B2 is navigable
from A2.

Not navigable end is indicated with a small x on the end of an association.

A3 is not navigable from B3 while B3 has unspecified

navigability.

A4 is not navigable from B4 while B4 is navigable from A4.

A5 is navigable from B5 and B5 is navigable from A5.

A6 is not navigable from B6 and B6 is not navigable from

A6.

Generalization
A Generalization is shown as a line with a hollow triangle as an arrowhead between the symbols representing the
involved classifiers. The arrowhead points to the symbol representing the general classifier. This notation is referred to
as the "separate target style."

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 Checking, Savings, and Credit Accounts are generalized by
Account.

Multiple Generalization relationships that reference the same general classifier can also be connected together in the
"shared target style."

Checking, Savings, and Credit Accounts are generalized by

Account.

Dependency

Dependency relationship is used on class diagrams to show usage dependency or abstraction.

A dependency is generally shown as a dashed arrow between two model elements. The model element at the tail of the
arrow (the client) depends on the model element at the arrowhead (the supplier). The arrow may be labeled with
Data Access depends on Connection Pool an optional stereotype and an optional name.

Usage

Usage is a dependency relationship in which one element (client) requires another element (or set of elements)
(supplier) for its full implementation or operation.

For example, it could mean that some method(s) within a (client) class uses objects (e.g. parameters) of the another
Search Controller uses Search Engine. (supplier) class.

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 A usage dependency is shown as a dependency with a use keyword attached to it.

Create

Create is a usage dependency denoting that the client classifier creates instances of the supplier classifier. It is
denoted with the standard stereotype create.

Data Source creates Connection

Create may relate an instance value to a constructor for a class, describing the single value returned by the constructor
operation. The operation is the client, the created instance the supplier. The instance value may reference parameters
declared by the operation.

Account constructor creates new instance of Account

Required Interface
Required interface specifies services that a classifier needs in order to perform its function and fulfill its own
obligations to its clients. It is specified by a usage dependency between the classifier and the corresponding
interface.

The usage dependency from a classifier to an interface is shown by representing the interface by a half-circle or
socket, labeled with the name of the interface, attached by a solid line to the classifier that requires this interface.
Interface SiteSearch is used (required) by SearchController.

If interface is represented using the rectangle notation, interface usage dependency is denoted with dependency
arrow. The classifier at the tail of the arrow uses (requires) the interface at the head of the arrow.

Interface SiteSearch is used (required) by Search Controller.

Interface Realization
The interface realization dependency from a classifier to an interface is shown by representing the interface by a
circle or ball, labeled with the name of the interface and attached by a solid line to the classifier that realizes this
interface.

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 Interface SiteSearch is realized (implemented) by
SearchService.

In cases where interfaces are represented using the rectangle notation, interface realization dependency is denoted
with interface realization arrow. The classifier at the tail of the arrow implements the interface at the head of the arrow.

Interface SiteSearch is realized (implemented) by

SearchService.

Noticed a spelling error? Select the text using the mouse and press Ctrl + Enter.

by Kirill Fakhroutdinov

This document describes UML versions up to UML 2.5 and is based on the corresponding OMG Unified Modeling Language (OMG UML) specifications. UML
diagrams were created in Microsoft Visio 2007-2016 using UML 2.x Visio Stencils. Lucidchart is a nice, free UML tool that I recommend for students.
You can send your comments and suggestions to webmaster at [email protected].

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