Interaction overview diagram
| Structure diagrams of the UML |
|---|
| Class diagram |
| Component diagram |
| Composition structure diagram |
| Object diagram |
| Package diagram |
| Profile diagram |
| Distribution diagram |
| UML behavioral diagrams |
| Activity diagram |
| Use case diagram |
| Interaction overview diagram |
| Communication diagram |
| Sequence diagram |
| Timing diagram |
| State diagram |
The interaction overview diagram (Engl. Interaction overview diagram ) is one of the 14 chart types in the Unified Modeling Language (UML), a modeling language for software and other systems.
description
The interaction overview diagram is a behavior diagram , more precisely one of the four interaction diagrams . It shows a certain view of the dynamic aspects of the modeled system. While an interaction overview diagram is a graphical representation of an interaction , it is very different from the sequence diagram and the communication diagram , the two other types of diagrams used for modeling interactions. Indeed, some of the graphical elements of an interaction overview diagram are borrowed from the activity diagram, another behavior diagram for modeling activities .
Interaction models can become very large for complex systems. If the number of lifelines involved and the number of messages exchanged exceed a certain level, it is necessary to modularize the interaction and to divide it into smaller, more manageable parts according to generally applicable principles of system design, which can also be visualized with the help of a classic sequence diagram . The overview of the entire interaction, i.e. the big picture or overall picture, can then be displayed with the aid of the interaction overview diagram provided for this purpose.
example
The illustration shows an example of an interaction overview diagram with a header and a content area. The key word in the header for an interaction overview diagram is sdor interaction.
In this example, the interaction overview diagram combines a sequence diagram that is defined on the spot ( inline ) with an interaction ( Drehtür für einen Durchgang freigeben) that is modeled elsewhere and is only referenced here, recognizable by the keyword ref.
The control flow between these two interactions is modeled with elements from the activity diagrams. The process begins with a start node and ends with an end node for activities. A branching node between the embedded interactions models the decision as to whether access is to be released or blocked.
Differences to UML 1.4
The interaction overview diagram was introduced in version 2.0 of the UML.
literature
- Christoph Kecher: UML 2.0 - The comprehensive manual . Galileo Computing, 2006, ISBN 3-89842-738-2