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What is Sequence Diagram?

What is Sequence
Diagram?

Purpose of Sequence
Diagram

At a Glance

Object Dimension

Time Dimension

UML (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unified_Modeling_Language) Sequence Diagrams

Sequence Diagram are interaction diagrams that detail how operations are carried out. They capture the
Example interaction between objects in the context of a collaboration. Sequence Diagrams are
time focus and they show the order of the interaction visually by using the vertical
Notations axis of the diagram to represent time what messages are sent and when.

Message & Focus of

Control

Sequence Fragments

Combined Fragment
Example

For Use Case Modeling

Model before Code

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Related Links Sequence Diagrams captures:

the interaction that takes place in a collaboration that either realizes a use case or
an operation (instance diagrams or generic diagrams)

high-level interactions between user of the system and the system, between the
system and other systems, or between subsystems (sometimes known as system
sequence diagrams)

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Purpose of Sequence Diagram

Model high-level interaction between active objects in a system

Model the interaction between object instances within a collaboration that realizes
a use case

Model the interaction between objects within a collaboration that realizes an

operation

Either model generic interactions (showing all possible paths through the
interaction) or specific instances of a interaction (showing just one path through
the interaction)

Sequence Diagrams at a Glance

Sequence Diagrams show elements as they interact over time and they are organized
according to object (horizontally) and time (vertically):

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 The horizontal axis shows the elements that are involved in the interaction

Conventionally, the objects involved in the operation are listed from left to right
according to when they take part in the message sequence. However, the elements
on the horizontal axis may appear in any order

Time Dimension
The vertical axis represents time proceedings (or progressing) down the page.

Note that:

Time in a sequence diagram is all a about ordering, not duration. The vertical space in
an interaction diagram is not relevant for the duration of the interaction.

Sequence Diagram Example: Hotel System

Sequence Diagram is an interaction diagram that details how operations are carried
out -- what messages are sent and when. Sequence diagrams are organized according
to time. The time progresses as you go down the page. The objects involved in the
operation are listed from left to right according to when they take part in the
message sequence.

Below is a sequence diagram for making a hotel reservation. The object initiating the
sequence of messages is a Reservation window.

Note That: Class and object diagrams are static model views. Interaction diagrams are
dynamic. They describe how objects collaborate.

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 Sequence Diagram Notation

Notation Description Visual Representation

Actor

a type of role played by an entity that interacts

with the subject (e.g., by exchanging signals
and data)

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).

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
role of some entity

A person may play the role of several different

actors and, conversely, a given actor may be
played by multiple different person.

Lifeline

A lifeline represents an individual participant in

the Interaction.

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 Activations

A thin rectangle on a lifeline) represents the

period during which an element is performing
an operation.

The top and the bottom of the of the rectangle

are aligned with the initiation and the
completion time respectively

Call Message

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.

Return Message

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.

Self Message

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.

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 Recursive Message

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.

Create Message

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.

Destroy Message

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.

Duration Message

A message defines a particular communication

between Lifelines of an Interaction.

Duration message shows the distance between

two time instants for a message invocation.

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 Note

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.

Message and Focus of Control

An Event is any point in an interaction where something occurs.

Focus of control: also called execution occurrence, an execution occurrence

It shows as tall, thin rectangle on a lifeline)

It represents the period during which an element is performing an operation. The

top and the bottom of the rectangle are aligned with the initiation and the
completion time respectively.

Sequence Fragments
UML 2.0 (http://www.omg.org/spec/UML/2.0/) introduces sequence (or interaction)
fragments. Sequence fragments make it easier to create and maintain accurate
sequence diagrams

A sequence fragment is represented as a box, called a combined fragment, which

encloses a portion of the interactions within a sequence diagram

The fragment operator (in the top left cornet) indicates the type of fragment

Fragment types: ref, assert, loop, break, alt, opt, neg

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 Operator Fragment Type

Alternative multiple fragments: only the one whose condition is true

alt will execute.

opt Optional: the fragment executes only if the supplied condition is true.
Equivalent to an alt only with one trace.

par Parallel: each fragment is run in parallel.

Loop: the fragment may execute multiple times, and the guard
loop indicates the basis of iteration.

region Critical region: the fragment can have only one thread executing it at
once.

neg Negative: the fragment shows an invalid interaction.

Reference: refers to an interaction defined on another diagram. The

ref frame is drawn to cover the lifelines involved in the interaction. You
can define parameters and a return value.

sd Sequence diagram: used to surround an entire sequence diagram.

Note That:

It is possible to combine frames in order to capture, e.g., loops or branches.

Combined fragment keywords: alt, opt, break, par, seq, strict, neg, critical, ignore,
consider, assert and loop.

Constraints are usually used to show timing constraints on messages. They can
apply to the timing of one message or intervals between messages.

Combined Fragment Example

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 Sequence Diagram for Modeling Use Case Scenarios
User requirements are captured as use cases that are refined into scenarios. A use
case is a collection of interactions between external actors and a system. In UML, a
use case is:

"the specification of a sequence of actions, including variants, that a system (or entity)
can perform, interacting with actors of the system."

A scenario is one path or flow through a use case that describes a sequence of events
that occurs during one particular execution of a system which is often represented by
a sequence diagram.

Sequence Diagram - Model before Code

Sequence diagrams can be somewhat close to the code level, so why not just code up
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 that algorithm rather than drawing it as a sequence diagram?

A good sequence diagram is still a bit above the level of the real code

Sequence diagrams are language neutral

Non-coders can do sequence diagrams

Easier to do sequence diagrams as a team

Can be used for testing and/or UX Wireframing (/features/ux-design-and-

wireframe-tools)

Try to Draw UML Sequence

Diagram Now
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draw a Sequence Diagram. It's time to draw a Sequence
Diagram of your own. Get Visual Paradigm Community
Edition, a free UML modeling tool, and create your own
Sequence Diagram with the free Sequence Diagram
tool. It's easy-to-use and intuitive.

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Related Links

1. What is Unified Modeling Language? (/guide/uml-unified-modeling-

language/what-is-uml/)

2. Professional UML diagram tool (/features/uml-tool/)

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