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Structured Modelling Using Class Diagrams v1

The document provides an overview of structural modeling in software engineering, focusing on class diagrams as a means to represent the organization of a system. It explains essential elements of UML class diagrams, including classes, attributes, operations, and relationships, as well as concepts like associations, aggregation, composition, and generalization. The document also outlines the process for drawing class diagrams and emphasizes the importance of effective communication through structural models.

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ericklemayan777
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2 views21 pages

Structured Modelling Using Class Diagrams v1

The document provides an overview of structural modeling in software engineering, focusing on class diagrams as a means to represent the organization of a system. It explains essential elements of UML class diagrams, including classes, attributes, operations, and relationships, as well as concepts like associations, aggregation, composition, and generalization. The document also outlines the process for drawing class diagrams and emphasizes the importance of effective communication through structural models.

Uploaded by

ericklemayan777
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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APT 2080: INTRODUCTION TO

SOFTWARE ENGINEERING

Structural Modelling using Class Diagrams


Introduction
• Towards the end of the analysis phase, functional models
representing how the system will behave were created
• During the design phase, we need to understand how the
system will be organized
• This organization defines the structure of the system
during the design of the system architecture
Structural Models
• A structural model is a formal way of representing the
organization of ideas or concepts in an information system
• Structural models display the organization of a system in terms
of components making up the system and their relationships.
• A structural model can be ‘abstract’ (it is not tied to any specific
implementation) or ‘concrete’ (it is tied to a specific
implementation) depending on what is needed
• Structural modelling helps create a vocabulary that can be used
by the analyst and the users to communicate effectively
• Structural models represent the things, ideas, or concepts
contained in the domain of the problem
• Structural models also represent the relationships among the
things, ideas, or concepts
Structural Diagrams (Models)
• There are a number of Structural UML diagrams
or models
• Below are UML structural models:
– Class diagrams
– Object diagrams
– Deployment diagrams
– Package diagrams
– Composite structure diagram
– Component diagram
Class Diagram
• A Class Diagram is a diagram describing the structure of a system and
shows the system's;
• Classes
• Attributes
• Operations/ Methods
• Relationships among the classes
• Class diagrams are used when developing an object-oriented system
model to show the classes in the system and the associations between
these them.
• They are used to describe the types of objects in a system and their
relationships
• Class diagrams are composed of classes, attributes, methods,
associations, messages and multiplicity
Essential Elements of a UML Class Diagram
• Class
• Attributes
• Operations
• Relationships
• Associations
• Generalization
• Realization
• Dependency
• Constraint Rules and Notes
Class
• Describes a set of objects having similar:
• Attributes (status)
• Operations (behavior)
• Relationships with other classes
• Attributes and operations may have their visibility marked as:
• "+" for public
• "#" for protected
• "−" for private Class Name
Window
• "~" for package
size: Size
Attributes visibility: boolean

display()
Operations hide()
Class Symbols
Class Symbols (2)
Associations
• An association between two classes indicates that objects at one
end of an association “recognize” objects at the other end and may
send messages to them.
• Instance of one class must know about the other in order to
perform its work

• Example: “An Employee works for a Company”

Employee Company
Associations (cont.)
Role
name
Association
name
instructor
StaffMember Student
1..* instructs *
Role
Navigable
Multiplicity (uni-directional)
association * pre -
requisites
Courses
0..3
Reflexive
association
Associations (cont.)
• To clarify its meaning, an association may be named.
• The name is represented as a label placed midway along the association line.
• Usually a verb or a verb phrase.
• A role is an end of an association where it connects to a class.
• May be named to indicate the role played by the class attached to the end of
the association path.
• Usually a noun or noun phrase
• Mandatory for reflexive associations
Associations (cont.)
• Multiplicity
• the number of objects that participate in the association.
• Indicates whether or not an association is mandatory.

Multiplicity Indicators

Exactly one instance 1


Zero or more (unlimited) – no limit * (0..*)
One or more – at least one instance 1..*
Zero or one (optional association) 0..1
Specified range 2..4
Multiple, disjoint ranges 2, 4..6, 8
Aggregation
• A special form of association that models a whole-part relationship between
an aggregate (the whole) and its parts.
• Instances of one class belong to a collection.
• Has a diamond end pointing to the part containing the whole.

• Models a “is a part-part of” relationship.

2..* 1..*
Car Door House

Whole Part
Aggregation (cont.)
• Aggregation tests:
• Is the phrase “part of” used to describe the relationship?
• A door is “part of” a car
• Are some operations on the whole automatically applied to its parts?
• Move the car, move the door.
• Are some attribute values propagated from the whole to all or some of its parts?
• The car is blue, therefore the door is blue.
• Is there an intrinsic asymmetry to the relationship where one class is subordinate to the
other?
• A door is part of a car. A car is not part of a door.
Composition
• A strong form of aggregation
• The whole is the sole owner of its part.
• The part object may belong to only one whole
• Multiplicity on the whole side must be zero or one.
• The life time of the part is dependent upon the whole.
• The composite must manage the creation and destruction of its parts.

1 Circle
Circle Point

3..* Point
Polygon
Generalization
• Indicates that objects of the specialized class (subclass) are
substitutable for objects of the generalized class (super-class).
• One class is the superclass of the other

• “is kind of” relationship.

{abstract} is a An abstract Shape Super


tagged value that class {abstract} Class
indicates that the
class is abstract. Generalization
The name of an relationship
abstract class should Circle Sub Class
be italicized
Generalization
• 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
• A generalization relationship may not be used to model interface
implementation.
The Process of Drawing Class Diagrams
To be able to draw a class diagram, one should follow the steps
below:
• Identify the system that is to be modelled. Eg, library system
• Identify all the objects in the system
• Add attributes to the objects identified
• Add the object methods, multiplicity and relationships between the
objects
• NB: If you struggle too hard to come up with useful attributes or
methods for an object, then perhaps the object chosen is not a
useful one
Class Diagram Example

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