Creating Stereotyped Model Type Using Diagram Toolbar

Stereotypes is extensibility mechanisms in UML which allows designers to extend the vocabulary of UML in order to create new model elements. By applying appropriate stereotypes in your model you can make the specification model comprehensible.

A stereotyped model type can appear in a project many times. For example, when modeling an online shopping system with use case diagram you might have multiple actors who are <<administrator>>. Same for class model, you might have multiple <<Enum>> or <<Model>> classes. When a stereotyped model type is being used so frequently that they become primitive building blocks in a model, allowing to create it directly saves time in redefining it again and again. This article demonstrate how to configure the diagram toolbar to let you create a stereotyped model element easily.

Configuring the Diagram Toolbar

1.	Press on the tiny down arrow at the top of the diagram toolbar.
2.	Select Configure Buttons... from the popup menu.
	This displays the Configure Buttons dialog box.
3.	Expand the tree node of the interested model type.
4.	Select the type of stereotype that we want it to appear in the diagram toolbar, ready to be created. Then, press Add Selected and press OK to confirm.
5.	Now, let's go back to the diagram. In the diagram toolbar, press on the tiny down arrow beside the interested model type.
6.	We can see the stereotyped model type appear in the popup menu, available for creation. Select it.
7.	Click on the diagram to create a shape.
8.	A shape is created with the chosen stereotype.
Auxiliary Options
There are auxiliary options provided by the diagram toolbar for rearranging items in the diagram toolbar such that selection can be made more easily. We will go through two of them. The Expand Group function expands all collapsed group such that all stereotyped model types are visible.
The Show Name function displays buttons' names when on. Turning it off can reduces spaces consumed by the buttons.

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