IS223D: OBJECT-ORIENTED DESIGN
Information Systems
Department Lecture 4: Class Diagrams
Objectives
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To explain what is class diagram and its essential
elements.
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Introduction
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Classes and objects describe the elements in the
system, while the relationships reveal communication
and interaction.
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What is Class Diagram
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A class diagram describes the static view (structure)
of a system.
A class diagram shows only classes, not objects.
It shows the system's:
classes
attributes
operations
relationships among the classes.
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Element of Class Diagram
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1. Class
5. Constraint
Rules & 2. Attribute
Note
4. 3.
Relationship Operation
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1. Class
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A class is a description of a set of
objects that share the same attributes, Name
operations, relationships, and
semantics.
attributes
Classes are templates for creating
instances or objects.
A class is drawn with a rectangle, operations
usually, divided into three
compartments:
Name
Attributes
Operations
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1. Class (cont.)
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The top compartment of the class
Name
rectangle contains the name of
the class.
attributes
It is capitalized and centered in
boldface.
operations
The name should be derived from
the problem domain and should
be as unambiguous as possible.
Therefore, it should be a noun, for
example, Invoice or Debt.
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2. Attribute
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An attribute is a named property Person
of a class that describes the
characteristics of the object being name
modeled. address
birthdate
In the class diagram, attributes ssn
appear in the second compartment
just below the name-compartment.
Attribute names typically begin
with a lowercase letter.
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2. Attribute (cont.)
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UML has formal syntax for the description
of an attribute:
visibility / name : type [multiplicity] = default-value {
propertystring}
You must have a name, but all other parts
are optional.
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2. Attribute (cont.)
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The attributes can have different visibility.
Visibility describes whether the attribute can Person
be referenced from classes other than the one
in which they are defined.
+ public: it can be used and viewed outside
that class. + name
- private: it cannot be accessed from other # address
classes. # birthdate
# protected: it is private to the class, but visible - ssn
to any subclasses through generalization and
specialization.
If no sign is displayed, this means that the
visibility is undefined (there is no default
visibility).
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2. Attribute (cont.)
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A “/” indicates that the
Person
attribute is derived. For
example, the age of a person + name
might be derived as the current # address
# birthdate
date minus the birthdate. / age
- ssn
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2. Attribute (cont.)
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An attribute has a type, Person
which tells you what kind of
attribute it is.
+ name : String
Typical attribute types are # address : String
integer, Boolean, string, date, # birthdate : Date
real, floating point, and - ssn : Integer
enumeration, which are
called data types.
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2. Attribute (cont.)
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Multiplicity shows the number of
instances of the attribute in square Person
brackets.
Eg: + name : String
[0..1] – this attribute can have a # address : String [*]
value of null
# birthdate : Date
[1..*] – this attribute's value is a
- ssn : Integer
collection that contains at least one
value
[*] – this attribute's value is a
collection of values
It is omitted if the multiplicity is 1.
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2. Attribute (cont.)
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An attribute also can have a Person
default value.
Eg: The default value of date + name : String
is Current date. # address : String [*]
# birthdate : Date
+date : Date = Current date
- ssn : Integer
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2. Attribute (cont.)
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A property-string can be
Person
used to further describe an
attribute.
A property-string is written + name : String
# address : String [*]
within curly braces; it is a # birthdate : Date
comma-separated list of +date : Date = Current date
- ssn : Integer {readOnly}
property values that apply to
the attribute.
Eg: {readOnly}, {ordered},
and {sequence}
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3. Operation
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Operation describe the class Person
behavior and appear in the third
compartment. name : String
address : String
Operations are normally called birthdate : Date
functions, but they are inside a ssn : int
class and can be applied only to
eat()
objects of that class. sleep()
work()
play()
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3. Operation
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The formal syntax for an operation is:
visibility name ( parameter-list ) : return-type-expression { propertystring}
Person
+name : String
address : String
birthdate : Date
ssn : int
+eat(name:String):String{readOnly}
sleep()
work()
play()
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4. Relationship
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Association
Generalization
Dependency
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4.1 Association
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If two classes in a model need to communicate with
each other, there must be link between them.
An association denotes that link.
Eg: Student learns from instructor.
Student Instructor
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4.1 Association (cont.)
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We can indicate the multiplicity of an
association by adding multiplicity adornments to
the line denoting the association.
Eg: A student learns from one or more
Instructors
Student Instructor
1..*
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4.1 Association (cont.)
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Eg: Every instructor teaches one or more Students
Student Instructor
1..*
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4.1 Association (cont.)
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Multiplicity
the number of objects that participate in the association.
Multiplicity Indicators
Exactly one 1
Zero or more (unlimited) * (0..*)
One or more 1..*
Zero or one (optional association) 0..1
Specified range 2..4
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4.1 Association (cont.)
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We can also name the association.
learn from
Student Instructor
teach
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4.1 Association (cont.)
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We can also indicate the behavior of an object
in an association (i.e., the role of an object)
using rolenames attached to the end of the
association path.
* drive *
Car company car driver Person
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4.1 Association (cont.)
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We can constrain the association relationship by defining the
navigability of the association.
Eg: A navigable association says that a person can own many
cars, but it does not say anything about how many people can
own a car.
The direction of the association indicates that the car has no
knowledge of the person.
owns *
Person Car
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4.1 Association (cont.)
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A class can have a self association.
prerequisite
Course
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4.1 Association (cont.)
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We can model objects that contain other objects by way of
special associations called aggregations and compositions.
An aggregation specifies a whole-part relationship between
an aggregate (a whole) and a component part, where the
part can exist independently from the aggregate.
Aggregations are denoted by a hollow-diamond adornment
on the association.
Engine
Car
Door
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4.1 Association (cont.)
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A composition indicates a strong ownership and coincident
lifetime of parts by the whole (i.e., they live and die as a
whole). Compositions are denoted by a filled-diamond
adornment on the association.
Scrollbar
1 1
Window Titlebar
1 1
Menu
1 1 .. *
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4.2 Generalization
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A generalization connects a subclass to its superclass.
It denotes an inheritance of attributes and behavior
from the superclass to the subclass and indicates a
specialization in the subclass of the more general
superclass.
Shape
Square
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4.2 Generalization (cont.)
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A sub-class inherits from its super-class
Attributes
Operations
Relationships
A sub-class may
Add attributes and operations
Add relationships
Refine (override) inherited operations
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4.3 Dependency
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A dependency indicates a semantic relationship between two or
more elements.
The dependency from CourseSchedule to Course exists because
Course is used in both the add and remove operations of
CourseSchedule.
CourseSchedule
Course
add(c : Course)
remove(c : Course)
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5. Constraint Rules and Notes
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Constraints and notes annotate among other things
associations, attributes, operations and classes.
Constraints are semantic restrictions noted as Boolean
expressions.
UML offers many pre-defined constraints.
Customer
1 * may be
Order
canceled
id: long { value > 0 }
Constraint Note
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Example
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Draw a class diagram that fulfills the following statements:
An insurance company has insurance contracts (zero or
more), which refer to one or more customers.
A customer has insurance contracts (zero or more), which
refer to one insurance company.
An insurance contract is between an insurance company
and one or more customers. The insurance contract
refers to both a customer (or customers) and an
insurance company.
The insurance contract is expressed in an (zero or one)
insurance policy (a written contract of insurance).
The insurance policy expresses an insurance contract.
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Solution
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Class Activity: University Courses
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Draw a class diagram based on the following
requirements:
All instructors consist of professor, associate professor,
and assistant professor.
Departments offer many courses, but a course is
offered by one or more department.
Courses are taught by instructors, who may teach up to
three courses.
Instructors are assigned to one department.
One instructor may chair a department.
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Class Activity: University Courses
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Extend the class diagram to include the following
attributes:
a department includes the department ID (private),
department name (public), and description about the
department (public)
an instructor includes the instructor ID (private),
instructor name (public) and department
a course includes the course ID (private), course name
(public), course description (public), and prerequisite
course (protected)
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Class Activity: University Courses
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Extend the class diagram to include the following
operations:
Instructors can
Selectcourse
Prepare course plan
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References
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“UML 2 Toolkit”, Hans-Erik Eriksson , Magnus Penker,
Brian Lyons, and David Fado, Chapter 4
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