Learning UML

Sections

A UML section is a grouping of paragraphs about a common subject. For instance, the English language groups paragraphs into sections, such as the one you are currently reading. UML sections are architectural views. An architectural view is a category of diagrams addressing a specific set of concerns. All the different architectural views determine the different ways in which we can understand a system. For example, all the figures shown so far in this chapter may be organized into different views, including those for addressing functional, structural, behavioral, and other pieces of the project management system. The elements that make up a view are known as view elements. For example, all the elements in the figures are view elements when we classify the diagram on which they appear into a specific view.

Because the UML is a language and not a methodology, it does not prescribe any explicit architectural views, but the UML diagrams may be generally organized around the following commonly used architectural views:

The use-case or user architectural view

Focuses on the functionality of a system, using use-case diagrams to communicate what functionality the system provides to its users.

The structural or static architectural view

Focuses on the structure of a system, using class and object diagrams to communicate what elements and relationships make up the system.

The behavioral or dynamic architectural view

Focuses on the behavior of a system, using sequence, collaboration, ...