Sequence diagram

The Sequence Diagram models the collaboration of objects based on a time sequence. It shows how the objects interact with others in a particular scenario of a use case. With the advanced visual modeling capability, you can create complex sequence diagram in few clicks. Besides, Visual Paradigm can generate sequence diagram from the flow of events which you have defined in the use case description.
Use case diagram | Class diagram | Sequence diagram | Communication diagram | State machine diagram | Activity diagram | Component diagram | Deployment diagram | Package diagram | Object diagram | Composite structure diagram | Timing diagram | Interaction overview diagram

Sequence diagram

Notation

 Actor Alternative Combined Fragment
 Call Message Concurrent
 Constraint Continuation
 Create Message Destroy Message
 Duration Constraint Duration Message
 Found Message Frame
 Gate Interaction Use
 LifeLine LifeLine <<Boundary>>
 LifeLine <<Control>> LifeLine <<Entity>>
 Loop Combined Fragment Lost Message
 Message Note
 Return Message Send Message
 Sequence Message Recursive Message
 Reentrant Message Self Message
 Time Constraint

Definition

The Sequence Diagram models the collaboration of objects based on a time sequence. It shows how the objects interact with others in a particular scenario of a use case. With the advanced visual modeling capability, you can create complex sequence diagram in few clicks. Besides, Visual Paradigm can generate sequence diagram from the flow of events which you have defined in the use case description.
 

Actor

Definition

An Actor models a type of role played by an entity that interacts with the subject (e.g., by exchanging signals and data), but which is external to the subject (i.e., in the sense that an instance of an actor is not a part of the instance of its corresponding subject). Actors may represent roles played by human users, external hardware, or other subjects. Note that an actor does not necessarily represent a specific physical entity but merely a particular facet (i.e., "role") of some entity that is relevant to the specification of its associated use cases. Thus, a single physical instance may play the role of several different actors and, conversely, a given actor may be played by multiple different instances.

Since an actor is external to the subject, it is typically defined in the same classifier or package that incorporates the subject classifier

Properties

NameThe name of actor.
DocumentationDescription of actor.
AbstractIf true, the actor does not provide a complete declaration and can typically not be instantiated. An abstract actor is intended to be used by other actors.
LeafIndicates whether it is possible to further specialize an actor. If the value is true, then it is not possible to further specialize the actor.
RootIndicates whether the actor has no ancestors. (true for no ancestors)
Business modelSet it to make the actor become a "business actor"
AttributesRefers to all of the Properties that are direct (i.e., not inherited or imported) attributes of the actor.
OperationsAn operation is a behavioral feature of an actor that specifies the name, type, parameters, and constraints for invoking an associated behavior. Operations here refers to the operations owned by the actor.
 

Alternative Combined Fragment

Definition

A combined fragment defines an expression of interaction fragments. A combined fragment is defined by an interaction operator and corresponding interaction operands. Through the use of CombinedFragments the user will be able to describe a number of traces in a compact and concise manner.

An alternative combined fragment represents a choice of behavior. At most one of the operands will be chosen.

Properties

NameThe name of alternative combined fragment.
Operator KindSpecifies the operation that defines the semantics of this combination of InteractionFragments.
DocumentationDescription of alternative combined fragment.
Interaction OperandsThe set of operands of the combined fragment.
Covered LifeLinesThe set of lifelines contained by the combined fragment.
 

Call Message

Definition

A message defines a particular communication between Lifelines of an Interaction.

Call message is a kind of message that represents an invocation of operation of target lifeline.

Properties

NameThe name of message.
Action TypeType action type of the message.
Return ValueThe information to return to caller.
Sequence No.The number of message indicates the order of message within an interaction.
DocumentationDescription of message.
AsynchronousDetermines whether the message is an asynchronous or a synchronous message.
 

Concurrent

Definition

A concurrent represents a session of concurrent method invocation along an activation. It is placed on top of an activation.

Properties

NameThe name of concurrent.
Base ClassifierA classifier is a classification of instances.
MultiplicitySpecifies the allowable cardinalities for an instantiation of concurrent.
DocumentationDescription of concurrent.
 

Constraint

Definition

A condition or restriction expressed in natural language text or in a machine readable language for the purpose of declaring some of the semantics of an element.

Properties

NameThe name of constraint. It is optional and is commonly omitted.
ExpressionThe condition that must be true when evaluated in order for the constraint to be satisfied.
DocumentationDescription of constraint.
 

Continuation

Definition

A Continuation is a syntactic way to define continuations of different branches of an Alternative CombinedFragment. Continuation is intuitively similar to labels representing intermediate points in a flow of control.

Properties

NameThe name of continuation.
DocumentationDescription of continuation.
SettingTrue when the continuation is at the end of the enclosing interaction fragment and false when it is in the beginning.
Covered LifeLineThe set of lifelines contained by the continuation.
 

Create Message

Definition

A message defines a particular communication between Lifelines of an Interaction.

Create message is a kind of message that represents the instantiation of (target) lifeline.

Properties

NameThe name of message.
Sequence No.The number of message indicates the order of message within an interaction.
DocumentationDescription of message.
AsynchronousDetermines whether the message is an asynchronous or a synchronous message.
 

Destroy Message

Definition

A message defines a particular communication between Lifelines of an Interaction.

Destroy message is a kind of message that represents the request of destroying the lifecycle of target lifeline.

Properties

NameThe name of message.
Action TypeType action type of the message.
Return ValueThe information to return to caller.
Sequence No.The number of message indicates the order of message within an interaction.
DocumentationDescription of message.
AsynchronousDetermines whether the message is an asynchronous or a synchronous message.
 

Duration Constraint

Definition

A DurationConstraint defines a Constraint that refers to a DurationInterval.

Properties

NameThe name of constraint.
SpecificationA duration used to determine whether the constraint is satisfied.
DocumentationDescription of constraint.
 

Duration Message

Definition

A message defines a particular communication between Lifelines of an Interaction.

Duration message shows the distance between two time instants for a message invocation.

Properties

NameThe name of message.
Action TypeType action type of the message.
Return ValueThe information to return to caller.
Sequence No.The number of message indicates the order of message within an interaction.
DocumentationDescription of message.
AsynchronousDetermines whether the message is an asynchronous or a synchronous message.
 

Found Message

Definition

A found message is a message where the receiving event occurrence is known, but there is no (known) sending event occurrence. We interpret this to be because the origin of the message is outside the scope of the description. This may for example be noise or other activity that we do not want to describe in detail.

Properties

NameThe name of found message.
Action TypeType action type of the message.
Return ValueThe information to return to caller.
Sequence No.The number of message indicates the order of message within an interaction.
DocumentationDescription of lost message.
AsynchronousDetermines whether the message is an asynchronous or a synchronous message.
 

Frame

Definition

A frame represents an interaction, which is a unit of behavior that focuses on the observable exchange of information between ConnectableElements.

Properties

NameThe name of frame.
TypeThe type of interaction. For example, sd for sequence diagram.
DocumentationDescription of lost message.
ChildrenSpecifies the participants in this Interaction.
GatesSpecifies the gates that form the message interface between this Interaction and any InteractionUses that reference it.
 

Gate

Definition

A Gate is a connection point for relating a Message outside an InteractionFragment with a Message inside the InteractionFragment.

Properties

NameThe name of gate.
DocumentationDescription of gate.
 

Interaction Use

Definition

An InteractionUse refers to an Interaction. The InteractionUse is a shorthand for copying the contents of the referred Interaction where the InteractionUse is. To be accurate the copying must take into account substituting parameters with arguments and connect the formal gates with the actual ones.

Properties

NameThe name of interaction use.
Return ValueThe information to return to caller.
Refers ToRefers to the Interaction that defines its meaning.
DocumentationDescription of interaction use.
AttributeAttribute refers to an attribute of one of the lifelines in the Interaction.
ArgumentsThe actual arguments of the Interaction.
Duration ConstraintA duration constraint defines a constraint that refers to a duration interval.
Covered LifeLinesThe set of lifelines contained by the continuation.
 

LifeLine

Definition

A lifeline represents an individual participant in the Interaction.

Properties

NameThe name of lifeline.
Base ClassifierA classifier is a classification of instances.
MultiplicitySpecifies the allowable cardinalities for an instantiation of this lifeline.
DocumentationDescription of lifeline.
ActiveAn active object is an object that, as a direct consequence of its creation, commences to execute its classifier behavior, and does not cease until either the complete behavior is executed or the object is terminated by some external object.
StoppedIf a lifeline it stopped, this represents that the lifeline has received a destruction event.
Multi-ObjectA multiobject represents a set of lifeline instances.
Attribute LinksA lifeline can be an instance that originates from a class. It is structured and behaves according to its class. An attribute link refers to an attribute, if any, defined in base classifier, with initial value specified.
 

LifeLine <<Boundary>>

Definition

A lifeline represents an individual participant in the Interaction.

Properties

NameThe name of lifeline.
Base ClassifierA classifier is a classification of instances.
MultiplicitySpecifies the allowable cardinalities for an instantiation of this lifeline.
DocumentationDescription of lifeline.
ActiveAn active object is an object that, as a direct consequence of its creation, commences to execute its classifier behavior, and does not cease until either the complete behavior is executed or the object is terminated by some external object.
StoppedIf a lifeline it stopped, this represents that the lifeline has received a destruction event.
Multi-ObjectA multiobject represents a set of lifeline instances.
Attribute LinksA lifeline can be an instance that originates from a class. It is structured and behaves according to its class. An attribute link refers to an attribute, if any, defined in base classifier, with initial value specified.
 

LifeLine <<Control>>

Definition

A lifeline represents an individual participant in the Interaction.

Properties

NameThe name of lifeline.
Base ClassifierA classifier is a classification of instances.
MultiplicitySpecifies the allowable cardinalities for an instantiation of this lifeline.
DocumentationDescription of lifeline.
ActiveAn active object is an object that, as a direct consequence of its creation, commences to execute its classifier behavior, and does not cease until either the complete behavior is executed or the object is terminated by some external object.
StoppedIf a lifeline it stopped, this represents that the lifeline has received a destruction event.
Multi-ObjectA multiobject represents a set of lifeline instances.
Attribute LinksA lifeline can be an instance that originates from a class. It is structured and behaves according to its class. An attribute link refers to an attribute, if any, defined in base classifier, with initial value specified.
 

LifeLine <<Entity>>

Definition

A lifeline represents an individual participant in the Interaction.

Properties

NameThe name of lifeline.
Base ClassifierA classifier is a classification of instances.
MultiplicitySpecifies the allowable cardinalities for an instantiation of this lifeline.
DocumentationDescription of lifeline.
ActiveAn active object is an object that, as a direct consequence of its creation, commences to execute its classifier behavior, and does not cease until either the complete behavior is executed or the object is terminated by some external object.
StoppedIf a lifeline it stopped, this represents that the lifeline has received a destruction event.
Multi-ObjectA multiobject represents a set of lifeline instances.
Attribute LinksA lifeline can be an instance that originates from a class. It is structured and behaves according to its class. An attribute link refers to an attribute, if any, defined in base classifier, with initial value specified.
 

Loop Combined Fragment

Definition

A combined fragment defines an expression of interaction fragments. A combined fragment is defined by an interaction operator and corresponding interaction operands. Through the use of CombinedFragments the user will be able to describe a number of traces in a compact and concise manner.

A loop combined fragment represents a loop. The loop operand will be repeated a number of times.

Properties

NameThe name of loop combined fragment.
Operator KindSpecifies the operation that defines the semantics of this combination of InteractionFragments.
DocumentationDescription of loop combined fragment.
Interaction OperandsThe set of operands of the combined fragment.
Covered LifeLinesThe set of lifelines contained by the combined fragment.
 

Lost Message

Definition

A lost message is a message where the sending event occurrence is known, but there is no receiving event occurrence. We interpret this to be because the message never reached its destination.

Properties

NameThe name of lost message.
Action TypeType action type of the message.
Return ValueThe information to return to caller.
Sequence No.The number of message indicates the order of message within an interaction.
DocumentationDescription of lost message.
AsynchronousDetermines whether the message is an asynchronous or a synchronous message.
 

Message

Definition

A message defines a particular communication between Lifelines of an Interaction.

Properties

NameThe name of message.
Action TypeType action type of the message.
Return ValueThe information to return to caller.
Sequence No.The number of message indicates the order of message within an interaction.
DocumentationDescription of message.
AsynchronousDetermines whether the message is an asynchronous or a synchronous message.
 

Note

Definition

A note (comment) gives the ability to attach various remarks to elements. A comment carries no semantic force, but may contain information that is useful to a modeler.

Properties

NameThe name of note.
DocumentationSpecifies a string that is the comment.
 

Return Message

Definition

A message defines a particular communication between Lifelines of an Interaction.

Return message is a kind of message that represents the pass of information back to the caller of a corresponded former message.

Properties

NameThe name of message.
Action TypeType action type of the message.
Return ValueThe information to return to caller.
Sequence No.The number of message indicates the order of message within an interaction.
DocumentationDescription of message.
AsynchronousDetermines whether the message is an asynchronous or a synchronous message.
 

Send Message

Definition

A message defines a particular communication between Lifelines of an Interaction.

Send message is a kind of message that represents the start of execution.

Properties

NameThe name of message.
Action TypeType action type of the message.
Return ValueThe information to return to caller.
Sequence No.The number of message indicates the order of message within an interaction.
DocumentationDescription of message.
AsynchronousDetermines whether the message is an asynchronous or a synchronous message.
 

Sequence Message

Definition

A message defines a particular communication between Lifelines of an Interaction.

Sequence message is a kind of message that represents the need of performing actions in sequence.

Properties

NameThe name of message.
Action TypeType action type of the message.
Return ValueThe information to return to caller.
Sequence No.The number of message indicates the order of message within an interaction.
DocumentationDescription of message.
AsynchronousDetermines whether the message is an asynchronous or a synchronous message.
 

Recursive Message

Definition

A message defines a particular communication between Lifelines of an Interaction.

Recursive message is a kind of message that represents the invocation of message of the same lifeline. It's target points to an activation on top of the activation where the message was invoked from.

Properties

NameThe name of message.
Action TypeType action type of the message.
Return ValueThe information to return to caller.
Sequence No.The number of message indicates the order of message within an interaction.
DocumentationDescription of message.
AsynchronousDetermines whether the message is an asynchronous or a synchronous message.
 

Reentrant Message

Definition

A message defines a particular communication between Lifelines of an Interaction.

A reentrant message points to an activation on top of another activation.

Properties

NameThe name of message.
Action TypeType action type of the message.
Return ValueThe information to return to caller.
Sequence No.The number of message indicates the order of message within an interaction.
DocumentationDescription of message.
AsynchronousDetermines whether the message is an asynchronous or a synchronous message.
 

Self Message

Definition

A message defines a particular communication between Lifelines of an Interaction.

Self message is a kind of message that represents the invocation of message of the same lifeline.

Properties

NameThe name of message.
Action TypeType action type of the message.
Return ValueThe information to return to caller.
Sequence No.The number of message indicates the order of message within an interaction.
DocumentationDescription of message.
AsynchronousDetermines whether the message is an asynchronous or a synchronous message.
 

Time Constraint

Definition

A TimeConstraint defines a Constraint that refers to a TimeInterval.

Properties

NameThe name of constraint.
SpecificationA time expression used to determine whether the constraint is satisfied.
DocumentationDescription of time constraint.
 
Definition of notations is quoted from Object Management Group Unified Modeling Language (OMG UML) Superstructure Version 2.2 and former versions (for notations that do not exist anymore in latest specification).
 
Use case diagram | Class diagram | Sequence diagram | Communication diagram | State machine diagram | Activity diagram | Component diagram | Deployment diagram | Package diagram | Object diagram | Composite structure diagram | Timing diagram | Interaction overview diagram
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