Software Engineering Lecture 4: System Models

Software Engineering

Dr. Sayed AbdelGaber

Professor
Faculty of Computers and Information
Helwan University

Dr. Sayed AbdelGaber

Software Engineering Lecture 4: System Models

➢ Objects are entities in a software system which

represent instances of real-world and system
entities.

➢ Object classes are templates for objects. They may

be used to create objects.

➢ Object classes may inherit attributes and services

from other object classes.

Dr. Sayed AbdelGaber

Software Engineering Lecture 4: System Models

➢ Conceptually, objects communicate by message passing.

➢ Messages
✓ The name of the service requested by the calling object;
✓ Copies of the information required to execute the service and the name
of a holder for the result of the service.

➢ In practice, messages are often implemented by procedure

calls
✓ Name = procedure name;
✓ Information = parameter list.

Dr. Sayed AbdelGaber

Software Engineering Lecture 4: System Models

➢ A diagramming technique that documents the static,

structural aspects of an object-oriented system:
✓ Types of object classes to be stored in the system and the properties
associated with each object class.
✓ Relationships (associations) among these object classes.
✓ Behavior associated with each class.

➢ Core diagram as they represent ‘building blocks of any object-

oriented system’.
[Source: Bennet et al., 2001]

➢ Describes the ‘abstract not the concrete’:

✓ Object instances modeled in Object Diagram.

Dr. Sayed AbdelGaber

Software Engineering Lecture 4: System Models

➢ Document classes that constitute a system or subsystem.

➢ Show individual features of each class.
➢ Used throughout development process:
From: specification classes (requirements) in problem domain.
To: implementation model of proposed system.

➢ Describe associations, generalization, aggregation relationships

between classes.
[Source: Bennet et al., 2001]

Dr. Sayed AbdelGaber

Software Engineering Lecture 4: System Models

➢ Entity:
✓ Model information requirements and associated relationships.
✓ Could be a person role, tangible object, event, etc.
✓ Will form database structure → persistent.
➢ Boundary:
✓ Model interactions between a system and it’s actors.
✓ Represents classes for user interface.
➢ Control:
✓ Controls other objects.
✓ Represents classes for processing.
➢ Can package and identify class types:
✓ Package diagrams
✓ Stereotypes

Dr. Sayed AbdelGaber

Software Engineering Lecture 4: System Models

➢ Classes are denoted by rectangles divided into 3 parts:

✓ Name → unique text description
✓ Attributes → name + data type
✓ Behavior → operation signatures

➢ Can add further meaning using stereotypes, visibility, and by

grouping related operations.

➢ Notice no relationship properties:

✓ Represented as associations.
✓ Associations are a separate element of a class.

Dr. Sayed AbdelGaber

Software Engineering Lecture 4: System Models

<<stereotype>>
Name
Name of class

+Attribute1 : type1
Attributes #Attribute2 : type1
-Attribute3 : type2

+operation1()
Behaviour +operation2(arg1:type1)
+operation3(): type 2

Dr. Sayed AbdelGaber

Software Engineering Lecture 4: System Models

➢ Phrase surrounded by guillemets: <<name>>.

➢ Used to convey additional semantics or classify diagram

elements:
✓ Extension mechanism.
✓ Reduce ambiguity.
✓ Describe purpose.

➢ Standard stereotypes:
✓ <<include>>, <<extend>>, <<interface>>, <<abstract>>, ...

➢ Often used stereotypes:

✓ <<entity>>,<<subsystem>>, <<persistent>>, <<constructor>>, ...

➢ New stereotypes can be defined by analyst/designer.

Dr. Sayed AbdelGaber
Software Engineering Lecture 4: System Models

➢ Primitive types:
✓ Atomic.
✓ Enumerated.
✓ Examples: String, int, character, Boolean ...

➢ Class types:
✓ From implementation environment:
✓ JAVA classes for Date, Integer, ...
✓ From class model itself:
✓ Address, Name, ...

➢ Power Designer supports generic primitive types with

Design language.
Dr. Sayed AbdelGaber
Software Engineering Lecture 4: System Models

➢ Constructor:
✓ Creates new instance of a class.
✓ Can have multiple constructors → different arguments.
➢ Query:
✓ Accesses the state of an object (can not modify).
✓ Example: GET operation.
➢ Update:
✓ Modifies state of object.
✓ Example: SET operation.
➢ Scope:
✓ Applies to a class (extent), not an instance.
✓ Example: Aggregation of some attribute value:
▪ Average commission rate for all sales people.

Dr. Sayed AbdelGaber

Software Engineering Lecture 4: System Models

➢ Defines the availability or accessibility of an attribute or

operation to other classes.

➢ Close relationship with data hiding and encapsulation.

➢ Typically:
✓ attributes have private visibility.
✓ operations have public visibility.

➢ Public operations thought of as interface for class.

See next
slide
Dr. Sayed AbdelGaber
Software Engineering Lecture 4: System Models

➢ Public:
✓ Denoted by +
✓ Other classes may directly examine or change the feature.

➢ Protected:
✓ Denoted by #
✓ Only classes of a public or protected subclass (descendants) can
directly examine or change the feature.

➢ Private:
✓ Denoted by –
✓ Only class itself (but not of inheriting classes) can directly examine
or change the feature.

Dr. Sayed AbdelGaber

Software Engineering Lecture 4: System Models

<<entity>> Stereotype to identify

Person class type

- name: String
Attributes with
- birthDate: Date
private visibility → Primitive types
- gender: String
hidden
Stereotype to group <<constructor>>
operations. + Person(...)
+ getName() : String Return type
Operations with public
+ setName(...)
visibility →
...
encapsulated
+calculateAge(): int Behavior specific to
each object

Dr. Sayed AbdelGaber

Software Engineering Lecture 4: System Models

➢ Represents relationship between object classes.

✓ Relationship properties not modeled in class diagram.

➢ Denoted by solid line.

➢ Can be annotated with additional components:

✓ Multiplicity, name, role names, navigability, qualifiers.

➢ Different types:
✓ Composition vs. aggregation.
✓ Associative classes.
✓ Note not generalization.

➢ Associations discussed in detail

Dr. Sayed AbdelGaber
Software Engineering Lecture 4: System Models

<<entity>> <<entity>>
Person Address
1..* works at 1..*
- name: String - streetNumber: String
employee organization
- birthDate: Date - street: String
- gender: String - suburb: String
- city: String
<<constructor>>
- region: String
+ Person(...)
0..* lives at 1
+ getName() : String
+ setName(...) resident dwelling <<constructor>>

... + Address(...)

+ findCohabitants():... + setStreetNumber(...)
...

Dr. Sayed AbdelGaber

Software Engineering Lecture 4: System Models

➢ Follow these iterative activities to produce initial,

high-level class diagrams:

[Source: Bennet et al., 2001]

1. Find classes and associations
2. Identify attributes and operations
✓ allocate to classes

3. Identify generalization structures

➢ Very similar to recommended approach to ERD

construction.

Dr. Sayed AbdelGaber

Software Engineering Lecture 4: System Models

Staff

Customer

Itinerary

Sector

Dr. Sayed AbdelGaber

Software Engineering Lecture 4: System Models

Abstract

Role names

Navigability Association
Aggregation name

Dr. Sayed AbdelGaber

Software Engineering Lecture 4: System Models

Dr. Sayed AbdelGaber