UML Collaboration Diagrams

UML Collaboration Diagrams

4 Collaboration Diagram Semantics

• Collaboration Diagram Notation

• Collaboration Diagram Examples

• Collaboration Diagram Issues

Michael Jones UML Collaboration Diagrams 2

1
 Collaboration Diagram Semantics
• Member of the Behavioural Group of diagrams
– as well as Sequence, Statechart, and Activity diagrams
• Behavioural description includes
– static - structural description on the participants
– dynamic - description on the execution of the actions
• Collaboration
– set of participants and interactions which are meaningful in a c ontext
• Purpose
– models the exchange of messages between objects to achieve
something
• Can be attached to:
– operation or use case
– class
• Parameterised collaboration
– can be reused
– can assist in defining the structural aspects of a design pattern

Michael Jones UML Collaboration Diagrams 3

UML Collaboration Diagrams

• Collaboration Diagram Semantics

4 Collaboration Diagram Notation

• Collaboration Diagram Examples

• Collaboration Diagram Issues

Michael Jones UML Collaboration Diagrams 4

2
 Collaboration Diagram Notation
• Represents a Collaboration and Interaction
• Collaboration
– set of objects and their interactions in a specific context
• Interaction
– set of messages exchanged in a collaboration to produce a desired result
• Objects
– rectangles containing the object signature
– object signature: object name : object Class
• object name (optional) - starts with lowercase letter
• class name (mandatory) - starts with uppercase letter
– objects connected by lines
– user (stick man) can appear
• Messages
– are labelled like C and Java function calls
• followed by round brackets, and can have parameters and return values
– are followed by an arrow to show direction
– internal messages are numbered, starting from 1

Michael Jones UML Collaboration Diagrams 5

UML Collaboration Diagrams

• Collaboration Diagram Semantics

• Collaboration Diagram Notation

4 Collaboration Diagram Examples

• Collaboration Diagram Issues

Michael Jones UML Collaboration Diagrams 6

3
 Collaboration Diagram Example
• Scenario: refreshing the icons in a folder window

refresh()
:Renderer window:Window

1: refreshIcons(window) 1.1.1: add(self)

1.1: create(icon)
:IconManager :BitmapGenerator

Michael Jones UML Collaboration Diagrams 7

UML Collaboration Diagrams

• Collaboration Diagram Semantics

• Collaboration Diagram Notation

• Collaboration Diagram Examples

4 Collaboration Diagram Issues

Michael Jones UML Collaboration Diagrams 8

4
 Collaboration Diagram Issues
• Message Signature
– guard
• condition applied to the message
• in square brackets at the start of the signature
– sequence number
• numbers separated by dots, ending in a colon
– return value
• name followed by :=
– operation name
– argument list
• names separated by commas, within round brackets

• Types of message flows

– synchronous, asynchronous, simple

• Multiplicity of objects
– how can messages sent to a multiplicity (e.g., an array) of objects be
represented?

Michael Jones UML Collaboration Diagrams 9

Types of Message Flows

• Simple
– indicates flow of control - sender waits until receiver processes message
– default
– shown by an 'empty' arrow

• Synchronous
– indicates nested flow of control
– used to ensure that state cannot be compromised by external factors
• e.g., not interrupted by the operating system
– shown by a 'filled' arrow

• Asynchronous
– a signal from one object to another
– shown as half an empty arrow

Michael Jones UML Collaboration Diagrams 10

5
 Multiplicity in Collaboration Diagrams
• A server object needs to send a message to each user logged
in, and another message to the audit object (which keeps a
track of messages sent)

1. sendWarning(text:String)
:Admin :User
*

2. addMessage(text:String)
:Audit

Michael Jones UML Collaboration Diagrams 11

Summary
• Collaboration Diagram Semantics
– objects and messages
– static representation of messages which could be sent
– sequence of messages indicated

• Collaboration Diagram Notation

– rectangles for objects
• object signature: name : Class
– messages with arrows
• message signature
• [ guard] sequence number : result := messageName(int)

• Collaboration Diagram Issues

– multiplicity
– when to use

Michael Jones UML Collaboration Diagrams 12