TCSS 360, Spring 2005
Lecture Notes
UML Sequence Diagrams
Relevant Reading:
UML Distilled, Third Edition,
Chapter 4
M. Fowler
1
UML sequence diagrams
sequence diagram: an "interaction
diagram" that models a single scenario
executing in the system
perhaps 2nd most used UML diagram (behind
class diagram)
relation of UML diagrams to other
exercises:
CRC cards -> class diagram
use cases -> sequence diagrams
2
Key parts of a sequence
diag.
participant: an object or entity that acts
in the sequence diagram
sequence diagram starts with an unattached
"found message" arrow
message: communication between
participant objects
the axes in a sequence diagram:
horizontal: which object/participant is acting
vertical: time (down -> forward in time)
3
Sequence diag. from use
case
4
Representing objects
squares with object type, optionally
preceded by object name and colon
write object's name if it clarifies the diagram
object's "life line" represented by dashed
vert. line
5
Messages between objects
message (method call) indicated by horizontal
arrow to other object
write message name and arguments above arrow
dashed arrow back indicates return
different arrowheads for normal / concurrent
(asynchronous) methods
6
Lifetime of objects
creation: arrow with
'new' written above it
notice that an object
created after the start
of the scenario
appears lower than
the others
deletion: an X at
bottom of object's
lifeline
Java doesn't explicitly
delete objects; they
fall out of scope and
are garbage-collected 7
Indicating method calls
activation: thick box over object's life
line; drawn when object's method is on
the stack
either that object is running its code, or it is
on the stack waiting for another object's
method to finish Activation
nest to indicate recursion
Nesting
8
Indicating selection and
loops
frame: box around part of a sequence diagram
to indicate selection or loop
if -> (opt) [condition]
if/else -> (alt) [condition], separated by horiz. dashed
line
loop -> (loop) [condition or items to loop over]
opt [balance
<>0] alt [balance
< 100.00]
[balance>= 100.00]
loop [balance
< 0]
9
linking sequence diagrams
if one sequence diagram is too large or refers to
another diagram, indicate it with either:
an unfinished arrow and comment
a "ref" frame that names the other diagram
when would this occur in our system?
Customer Info ref
Verify customer credit
Approved?
10
Example sequence
diagram
sd Example
StoreFront Cart Inventory
loop
AddItem
ReserveItem
Checkout
ProcessOrder
ConfirmOrder
PlaceItemInOrder
11
(De)centralized system
control
What can you say about the control flow of
each of the following systems?
centralized?
distributed?
12
Flawed sequence diagram
1
What's wrong with this sequence diagram?
(Look at the UML syntax and the viability of the
scenario.)
13
Flawed sequence diagram
2
What's wrong with this sequence diagram?
14
Flawed sequence diagram
3
What's wrong with this sequence diagram?
:Computer :PrintServer :Printer :Queue
print(file)
[if printer free] print(file)
[else] enqueue(file)
15
Why not just code it?
Sequence diagrams can be somewhat
close to the code level. So why not just
code up that algorithm rather than
drawing it as a sequence diagram?
a good sequence diagram is still a bit above the level
of the real code (not EVERY line of code is drawn on
diagram)
sequence diagrams are language-agnostic (can be
implemented in many different languages
non-coders can do sequence diagrams
easier to do sequence diagrams as a team
can see many objects/classes at a time on same
page (visual bandwidth) 16
Sequence diagram
exercise 1
Let's do a sequence diagram for the following
casual use case, Start New Poker Round :
The scenario begins when the player chooses to
start a new round in the UI. The UI asks whether any
new players want to join the round; if so, the new
players are added using the UI.
All players' hands are emptied into the deck,
which is then shuffled. The player left of the dealer
supplies an ante bet of the proper amount. Next each
player is dealt a hand of two cards from the deck in a
round-robin fashion; one card to each player, then the
second card.
If the player left of the dealer doesn't have
enough money to ante, he/she is removed from the
game, and the next player supplies the ante. If that
player also cannot afford the ante, this cycle continues
until such a player is found or all players are removed. 17
Sequence diagram
exercise 2
Let's do a sequence diagram for the following
casual use case, Add Calendar Appointment :
The scenario begins when the user chooses to add a new
appointment in the UI. The UI notices which part of the calendar is
active and pops up an Add Appointment window for that date and
time.
The user enters the necessary information about the
appointment's name, location, start and end times. The UI will
prevent the user from entering an appointment that has invalid
information, such as an empty name or negative duration. The
calendar records the new appointment in the user's list of
appointments. Any reminder selected by the user is added to the
list of reminders.
If the user already has an appointment at that time,
the user is shown a warning message and asked to choose an
available time or replace the previous appointment. If the user
enters an appointment with the same name and duration as an
existing group meeting, the calendar asks the user whether he/she
intended to join that group meeting instead. If so, the user is
added to that group meeting's list of participants. 18
