What is UML?
UML (Unified Modeling Language) is a visual language for representing and modelling the structure and behaviour of software systems. It is a standard notation for object-oriented modeling systems, and it is widely used in the software development industry.
UML provides a set of diagram types that can be used to model different aspects of a software system, including its structure, behaviour, and interactions. Some of the most commonly used UML diagrams include the following:
- Class diagrams: These diagrams model the static structure of a system, including the classes, their attributes and operations, and the relationships between them.
- Sequence diagrams: These diagrams model the interactions between objects in a system, showing the messages that are exchanged and the order in which they are sent.
- State diagrams: These diagrams model the dynamic behaviour of a system, showing the states that an object can be in and the transitions between them.
- Activity diagrams: These diagrams model the flow of activities within a system, showing the steps involved in a process and the decision points along the way.
UML is a powerful tool for visualizing and understanding the structure and behaviour of software systems. It is often used in the design phase of the software development process to help developers and stakeholders communicate and collaborate more effectively.
A standardized language is UML. No matter what business uses them or what the diagram is for, every UML element has the same meaning.
A user is represented by the “actor” icon, for instance. This could be a client, a member of the internal team, or another system that communicates with the diagram’s subject (in this case, it would be your software).
This symbol is always shown as a stick person. Anyone who sees this emblem will instantly understand what it represents in the context of your diagram.