Beginning C# 2008 Objects: From Concept to Code

11.4. Using Sequence Diagrams to Determine Methods

Now that we've prepared a sequence diagram, how do we put the information that it contains to good use? In particular, how do we extract information from such diagrams concerning the methods that the various classes need to implement?

The process is actually quite simple. We step through the diagram, one lifeline at a time, and study all arrows pointing into that line.

• Arrows representing a new request being made of an object—solid-line arrows—signal methods that the receiving object must be able to perform. For example, we see a solid-line arrow labeled "check prerequisite" pointing into the lifeline representing a Transcript object. This tells us that the Transcript class needs to define a ...