Creating fact diagram

Record and related terminologies under specific business domain by using fact diagram. In a fact diagram, terms are visualized as rectangular blocks. You can link terms up with connectors, and specify the kind of relationship in between. A fact diagram is closely related to business rules. It helps you identify the rules by studying the relationship between terms.

A sample fact diagram

Creating fact diagram

To create a fact diagram, right click on Fact Diagram in Diagram Navigator and select New Fact Diagram from the popup menu.

To create a fact diagram through Diagram Navigator

Notations

Name Representation Description Term A meaningful noun or noun phase that business participants recognize and use in communication. Fact Type A fact type represents the relationship between terms. Fact Association A fact association connects terms for visualizing the relationship in between. Term-Fact Type Association By connecting a term to a fact type, it represents a u-nary fact-type that provides a simple yes or no answer to business question. Generalization Represents a parent and child relationship between terms.

A list of supported notations in fact diagram

Spliting and joining binary fact

When a fact type involves more than two terms, we call it a n-ary fact type. For example, fact type worded "helpdesk answer customer's enquiry" involves three terms helpdesk, answer and enquiry. If you have already created a fact model that involves two terms, and now want to add an additional one, you need to split a fact type, and connect the split fact type with the new term.

1. Split a fact type by right clicking on the fact association and selecting Split Binary Fact from the popup menu.
   

   Split a binary fact

2. Move the mouse pointer over the added term. Press on the resource Term-Fact Type Association -> Fact Type and drag to the split fact type.
   

   To connect term with fact type

3. Release the mouse button. This connects the new term with split fact type.
   

   Term is connected with fact type

   On the contrary, you can join a split fact type by right clicking on an association and selecting Join Fact Type from the popup menu.