RE: Newbie: Questions on Sequence Diagrams

Bob, thanks so much for your help. I'm aware that Sequence Diagrams are under development and may not be complete. I'm grateful for whatever functionality they currently provide. Also, I'm hopeful that some of my questions and requests can be used to further the development of this part.

I was able to successfully add the ClassName to the ObjectName:ClassName title of classifier roles following your directions. Thanks. I never would have found this on my own. I'm also guessing that I'm stuck with "(anon ClassifierRole):CarLot" if I try to create an anonymous object of the Class 'CarLot' by just leaving the name blank and Adding a Base Class. I think my instructor can live with this.

When I follow your directions for the reflexive call message, I get a two-segment arrow that forms a triangle with the lifeline. I think that my instructor can probably live with this, too.

Thanks, again, for all your help and advice.

-Kevin

-----Original Message-----
From: Bob Tarling [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Saturday, November 08, 2008 3:45 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [argouml-users] Newbie: Questions on Sequence Diagrams

Hi Kevin

You catch us while we are still in the process of improving out
sequence diagrams. Hopefully our new implementation will be included
in release 0.28. It won't address all of your points though and
doesn't help you for the moment.


> 1. I'm creating the Sequence Diagram initially, without creating a corresponding
> Class Diagram previously. I note that when I create and name a new classifier role,
> if I give it the name "Mustang:Car" with ObjectName:ClassName, it adds a final
> colon and doesn't underline it as an object name. How can I add both of these
> aspects? How can I create anonymous objects of a Class, with an initial colon?

In the current release you can only name a classifier role by typing
into the property panel name field. The name of the classifierrole you
discuss is Mustang.

You can associate a class to that classifier role by rightclick->Add
in the base field of the classifier role property panel.

In our forthcoming release you can simply edit the notation directly
onto the diagram by clicking on the classifierrole box and typing
"Mustang : Car".

> 2. Is it possible to create a reflexive action, where an object calls a method within
> itself? How?

The method used by argouml currently is not very intuitive and the
notation is not standard. So this may well not look good for
presenting college work.

To accomplish start dragging a call message from a classifier role to
the right of that classifer role. Then without releasing drop the
mouse down and then left back onto the classifier role. Release the
mouse.

This is currently being improved in both usability and standards.

> 3. My instructor shows a 'create' action as '<create>' with guillemots, like a
> stereotype. Is this possible? I couldn't even find the left and right guillemots
> characters in the GNOME Character Map accessory. Any hints on how to type
> them with a USA-ASCII keyboard?

I haven't seen this before in sequence diagrams. See the examples in
the UML 1.4.2 spec - http://www.omg.org/docs/formal/05-04-01.pdf

> 4. I need to use 'scripts,' like comments or notes, that appear to the left of the
> first lifeline and line up vertically with the stimulus that it refers to, such as a
> note to "interate over all cars." Should I just use a freeform text block and
> manually keep it aligned?

It is possible to attach notes but it doesn't look like the note
connector work very well. You can use the text primitives instead.

> 5. My instructor states that it's easiest to read the text over stimuli arrows if it's
> aligned left. Is it possible to change this from centered?

There is no facility to do this at the moment but feel free to create
an enhancement request.

> 6. My instructor drew an Actor stick-figure to represent the user of the system
> receiving prompts and inputting responses. This has a lifeline like other classifiers.
> Is it possible to create this object?

The stick figure for classifierroles based on actors are an option in
the UML spec. It is not implemented in the current implementation. It
is planned for the new implementation but may not make the first
release.

Regards

Bob.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected]
For additional commands, e-mail: [email protected]