UML Terms

• Abstract class - A class that will never be instantiated. An instance of this class will never exist.
• Actor - An object or person that initiates events the system is involved with.
• Aggregation - Is a part of another class. Shown with a hollow diamond next to the containing class in diagrams.
• Artifacts - Documents describing the output of a step in the design process. The description is graphic, textual, or some combination.
• Association - Describe important relationships between concepts or objects and may be bidirectional
• Attributes - Characteristics of an object which may be used to reference other objects or save object state information.
• Class diagram - Shows the system classes and relationships between them.
• Collaboration diagram - A diagram that shows how operations are done while emphasizing the roles of objects.
• Concept - A noun or abstract idea to be included in a domain model.
• Construction phase - The third phase of the Rational Unified Process during which several iterations of functionality are built into the system under construction. This is where the main work is done.
• Domain -The part of the universe that the system is involved with.
• Elaboration phase - The second phase of the Rational Unified Process that allows for additional project planning including the iterations of the construction phase.
• Encapsulation - Data in objects is private.
• Generalization - Indicates that one class is a subclass on another class (superclass). A hollow arrow points to the superclass.
• GoF - Gang of Four set of design patterns.
• High cohesion - A GRASP evaluative pattern which makes sure the class is not too complex, doing unrelated functions.
• Low coupling - A GRASP evaluative pattern which measures how much one class relies on another class or is connected to another class.
• Inception phase - The first phase of the Rational Unified Process that deals with the original conceptualization and beginning of the project.
• Inheritance - Subclasses inherit the attributes or characterics of their parent (superclass) class. These attributes can be overridden in the subclass.
• Instance - A class is used like a template to create an object. This object is called an instance of the class. Any number of instances of the class may be created.
• Iteration - A mini project section during which some small piece of functionality is added to the project. Includes the development loop of analysis, design and coding.
• Message - A request from one object to another asking the object receiving the message to do something. This is basically a call to a method in the receiving object.
• Method - A function or procedure in an object.
• Model
• Multiplicity - Shown in a domain model and indicated outside concept boxes, it indicates object quantity relationshipt to quanties of other objects.
• Notation - Graphical document with rules for creating analysis and design methods.
• Object - An instantiation of a class which includes attributes (variables) and methods (functions).
• Package - A group of UML elements that logically should be grouped together.
• Pattern - Solutions used to determine responsibility assignment for objects to interact. It is a name for a successful solution to a well known common problem.
• Polymorphism - Same message, different method. Also used as a pattern.
• Reading Direction arrow - Indicates the direction of a relationship in a domain model.
• Role - Used in a domain model, it is an optional description about the role of an actor.
• Sequence diagram - A diagram that shows how operations are done.
• Statechart diagram - A diagram that shows all possible object states.
• Time boxing - Each iteration will have a time limit with specific goals.
• Transition phase - The last phase of the Rational Unified Process during which users are trained on using the new system and the system is made available to users.
• UML - Unified Modeling Language utilizes text and graphic documents to enhance the analysis and design of software projects by allowing more cohesive relationships between objects.
• Use case - Describes event sequences for an actor to use the system. It is a narrative description of the process.
• Workflow - A set of activities that produces some specific result.