Class Diagram

SSET
ICT381
UML Class Diagram
M.J. Simfukwe
Unified Modeling Language
• 2 categories of diagrams
– Structure Diagrams
• Provide a way for representing the data and
static relationships that are in an information
system
• Behavior Diagrams
Structure Diagrams
• Class Diagram
– Describe the structure of the system in
terms of classes and objects
– Primary purpose during analysis
workflow: to create a vocabulary that is
used by both the analyst and users
What is a Class?
• A general template that we use to
create specific instances or objects in
the application domain
• Represents a kind of person, place, or
thing about which the system will
need to capture and store information
• Abstractions that specify the attributes
and behaviors of a set of objects
What is an Object?
• Entities that encapsulate state and

behavior
• Each object has an identity
– It can be referred individually
– It is distinguishable from other objects
Types of Classes
• Ones found during analysis:
– people, places, events, and things about
which the system will capture information
– ones found in application domain
• Ones found during design
– specific objects like windows and forms
that are used to build the system
2 Kinds of Classes
during Analysis
• Concrete
– Class from application domain
– Example: Customer class and
Employee class
• Abstract
– Useful abstractions
– Example: Person class
Attributes in a Class
• Properties of the class about which
we want to capture information
• Represents a piece of information that
is relevant to the description of the
class within the application domain
Attributes in a Class
• Only add attributes that are primitive or
atomic types
• Derived attribute
– attributes that are calculated or derived
from other attributes
– denoted by placing slash (/) before name
Operations in a Class
• Represents the actions or functions
that a class can perform
• Describes the actions to which the
instances of the class will be capable
of responding
• Can be classified as a constructor,
query, or update operation
UML Representation of Class
Class Name
Attributes of Class
Operations/methods
of Class
Example of a Class Diagram
Video Rental System
visibility multiplicity class name
Customer 1..* 1..*

Video
-CID: int -cassetteID : int
-name: String rents -cassetteVolumeNo: int
+rentMovie()
+authenticateCustomer ()
attributes methods
relationship
Visibility
of Attributes and Operations
• Relates to the level of information
hiding to be enforced
Visibility
of Attributes and Operations
Visibility Symbol Accessible To
Public + All objects within your system.
Protected # Instances of the implementing class and its

subclasses.
Private - Instances of the implementing class.

Relationships among Classes
• Represents a connection between
multiple classes or a class and itself
• 3 basic categories:
– association relationships
– generalization relationships
– aggregation relationships
Association Relationship
• A bidirectional semantic connection
between classes
• Type:
– name of relationship
– role that classes play in the relationship
• Name of relationship type shown by:
– drawing line between classes
– labeling with the name of the relationship
– indicating with a small solid triangle
beside the name of the relationship the
direction of the association
Provides
Patient Medical History
• Role type shown by:
– drawing line between classes
– indicating with a plus sign before the
role name
Patient
+ primary insurance
carrier
Generalization Relationship
• Enables the analyst to create classes
that inherit attributes and operations of
other classes
• Represented by a-kind-of relationship
Person
Employee Customer
Manager Engineer
Employee
hireDate
receivePay
performWork
Manager Engineer
department certifications
bonus
hireEmployee analyze
promoteEmployee design
Person
Employee Contractor
Manager Engineer Preferred Secondary

Contractor Contractor
Aggregation Relationship
• Specialized form of association in
which a whole is related to its part(s)
• Represented by a-part-of relationship
Aggregation Relationship
• Denoted by placing a diamond
nearest the class representing the
aggregation
1 provides 0..1
Multiplicity
• Documents how many instances of a
class can be associated with one
instance of another class
1 provides 0..1
Multiplicity
• Denotes the minimum number..
maximum number of instances
Exactly one 1
Zero or more 0..* or 0..m
One or more 1..* or 1..m
Zero or one 0..1
Specified range 2..4
Multiple, disjoint ranges 1..3, 5
Class Diagram
• 2 approaches to deriving class
diagrams:
– from use cases and their scenarios
– from CRC cards
Deriving Class Diagram from
Use Cases and Scenarios
• Analyze the text in the use-case
descriptions and scenarios
Guidelines
for Analyzing Use Cases
• A common or improper noun implies
a class of objects
• A proper noun implies an instance of
a class
• A collective noun implies a class of
objects made up of groups of
instances of another class
Guidelines
for Analyzing Use Cases (2)
• An adjective implies an attribute of an
object
• A doing verb implies an operation
• A being verb implies a relationship
between an object and its class
• A having verb implies an aggregation
or association relationship
Brief Use Case format
Rent Videos. A Customer arrives with videos to rent.

The Clerk enters their ID, and each video ID. The
System outputs information on each. The Clerk
requests the rental report. The System outputs it,
which is given to the Customer with their videos.
Class Diagram
• Ensure that the classes are both
necessary and sufficient to solve the
underlying problem
– no missing attributes or methods in each
class
– no extra or unused attributes or methods
in each class
– no missing or extra classes
Discarding Unnecessary and
Incorrect Classes
• Redundant Classes
• Irrelevant Classes
• Vague Classes
• Attributes
• Operations
• Roles
• Implementation Constructs
Types of Classes
• Ones found during analysis:
– people, places, events, and things about
which the system will capture information
– ones found in application domain
• Ones found during design
– specific objects like windows and forms
that are used to build the system
• Read chapters 4 and 7 from Bennet et. al
(2010) “Object-Oriented Systems Analysis
and Design Using UML”

Class Diagram

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SSET

UML Class Diagram

• Entities that encapsulate state and

Customer 1..* 1..*

Protected # Instances of the implementing class and its

Private - Instances of the implementing class.

Manager Engineer Preferred Secondary

Rent Videos. A Customer arrives with videos to rent.

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