A talk I gave on UML in September to the Memphis PHP user group.

1. UML and You:
Communicating with your community
David Haskins

3. Quick Side Note: “The” UML
I refuse to refer to it as “the” UML. I will simply
refer to the topic as “UML.”

4. Who created UML?
• Created by the Object Management Group in
around 1997.
• UML is a consolidation of various competing
modeling languages.
• James Rumbaugh, Grady Booch, and Ivar
Jacobson – collectively known as “The Three
Amigos.”

5. What is UML?
• A graphical modeling language.
• UML means “Unified Modeling Language”.
• Consists of 14 types of diagrams.
– Structural diagrams
– Behavioral diagrams
• UML modeling tools can be found in Eclipse,
NetBeans, and Visual Studio.

7. Why use UML?
• A standard way to communicate ideas
• Use as a sketch
• Use as a blueprint
• Use UML as a programming language. UML
can be compiled into an application.
(don’t do this)

8. Why use UML?
I suggest you use it as a sketch.

9. Most Common UML Diagrams
• Use Case Diagrams
• Class Diagrams
• Sequence Diagrams

10. Diagram
Behavior Diagram Structure Diagram
Activity Use State Interaction Class Composite Structure Object
Case Machine
Timing Interaction Communication Sequence Package Deployment Component
Overview

12. Use Case Diagram
• Very similar to “user stories” in XP, but
generally more detailed.
• Includes alternatives to success.

13. Use Case Diagram (example)
BUY A PRODUCT
•Main Success:
1. Customer browses catalog and selects items
2. Customer chooses to checkout
3. Customer fills in shipping information
4. ….
10. System sends confirmation e-mail to customer

14. Use Case Diagram (example)
• Extensions:
3a. Customer is repeat visitor
.1 System displays default user address
.2 Customer chooses to use existing address or
enter a new address
10a. System receives bounce back from bad e-mail
address.
.1 System alerts supervisor to attempt to call
customer.

15. Use Case Diagram (example)
Browse Catalog
Checkout Records Transaction
Enter Shipping Info
Customer Calls Customer Accounting
System
Supervisor

16. Classes vs Objects
What’s the difference between
a Class and an Object?

17. Class Diagrams
Order
dateReceived
isPrepaid
totalPrice
shippingCharge
items
placeOrder()
closeOrder()

18. Class Diagrams
Order
+ dateReceived: Date[1]
- isPrepaid: Boolean [0..1]
+ totalPrice: Float[1]
# shippingCharge: Float [1]
+ items: LineItem [*]
+ placeOrder(int: orderId): Boolean
+ closeOrder(): Boolean

19. Class Diagrams
Order Class name
+ dateReceived: Date[1]
- isPrepaid: Boolean [0..1]
+ totalPrice: Float[1] Attributes
# shippingCharge: Float [1]
+ items: LineItem [*]
+ placeOrder(int: orderId): Boolean
+ closeOrder(): Boolean Operations
Visibility
Data Type
Multiplicity
Parameter List
Return Type

20. Class Diagrams (associations)
Order LineItem
dateReceived itemId
isPrepaid * inStock
totalPrice 1 quantity
shippingCharge color
addItem()
placeOrder() removeItem()
closeOrder() setQuantity()

21. Class Diagrams (generalization)
Order
orderId
price
setPrice()
DigitalOrder ShippedOrder
fileType weight
setFileType() setWeight()

22. Class Diagrams (aggregation)
Inventory
Item quantity
restockID
itemName restockDate
itemType
ShoppingCart
cartID
price
setPrice()

23. Aggregation
“Think of it as a modeling placebo”
– Jim Rumbaugh

24. Class Diagrams (composition)
Inventory
Item quantity
restockID
itemName restockDate
itemType
Order
orderID
price
setPrice()

25. Sequence Diagrams
Shows how objects interact with each other

26. anOrder aLineItem aProduct aCustomer
calculatePrice()
calculatePrice()
getPrice(quantity)
getDiscount (anOrder)
getBasePrice()
discountedPrice

27. Diagram
Behavior Diagram Structure Diagram
Activity Use State Interaction Class Composite Structure Object
Case Machine
Timing Interaction Communication Sequence Package Deployment Component
Overview

29. Interested in More?