UML

Someone or something outside the system that uses it: a person, another system or a device. Lines join it to the use cases it takes part in. Its name goes under the figure.

uml, actor, user, person, role, stick figure, use case

Where an activity or a state machine starts, with one arrow leaving it.

uml, initial node, initial state, start, begin, dot, activity, state machine

Where the whole activity ends: when the flow reaches it, every other path stops too. In a state machine, the final state.

uml, final node, activity final, final state, end, stop, bullseye

Where one path of an activity ends while the other paths carry on.

uml, flow final, end, path ends, cross, activity

Terminate: ends the whole state machine. To end a lifeline in a sequence diagram, right-click the lifeline and choose Ends in Destroy Mark.

uml, terminate, state machine, state, x, cross, end

A fork splits one flow into several that run at the same time; a join waits for all of them and joins them into one again. Turn it upright for a flow that runs across the page.

uml, fork, join, bar, parallel, split, synchronise, synchronize, concurrent

A comment for the reader. Join it to the shape it is about with a dashed line.

uml, note, comment, annotation, folded corner

A group of related classes or other parts of a system, drawn as a folder. Its name goes in the middle; the shapes it holds can be placed on it instead.

uml, package, folder, namespace, module, group

Class: a class with its attributes and operations. Set its name in italics for an abstract class, or underline it, as order1 : Order, for an object.

class, abstract, object, uml

Interface: the operations a class promises. Draw Implements from the class to it.

interface, protocol, uml

Enumeration: a type with a fixed list of values, one per line.

enumeration, enum, values, uml

Database Entity: a database table and its fields, one per line. Draw One to Many between entities.

entity, table, database, erd, record, uml

System Boundary: the edge of the system in a use case diagram. Its use cases go inside, its actors outside.

system boundary, boundary, use case, subject, uml

Lifeline: someone or something taking part in a sequence diagram. Draw messages between lifelines; their ends attach anywhere along the dashed line. To end one with an X, right-click it and choose Ends in Destroy Mark.

lifeline, participant, object, destroy, destruction, sequence, uml

Actor Lifeline: a person or other actor in a sequence diagram. To end one with an X, right-click it and choose Ends in Destroy Mark.

lifeline, actor, person, user, destroy, destruction, sequence, uml

Frame: a whole sequence diagram, named in its corner tag, as sd Login.

frame, sd, diagram, sequence, uml

Alt Fragment: a choice between alternatives. Draw a dashed line across it between the branches, and write each branch's condition in square brackets.

alt, alternative, if, else, fragment, sequence, uml

Loop Fragment: messages that repeat. Write the condition in square brackets inside it, as [for each item].

loop, repeat, while, fragment, sequence, uml

Opt Fragment: messages that happen only when a condition holds. Write it in square brackets inside it, as [in stock].

opt, optional, if, fragment, sequence, uml

Association: two classes that know about each other. Draw it either way.

uml, relationship, connector, association, link, class

Inheritance: draw from the child class to its parent.

uml, relationship, connector, generalization, generalisation, extends, subclass, is a

Implements: draw from the class to the interface it implements.

uml, relationship, connector, realization, realisation, interface, implementation

Dependency: draw from the class that uses something to the thing it uses.

uml, relationship, connector, uses, depends, dependency

Aggregation: draw from the whole to a part that can exist without it.

uml, relationship, connector, has a, whole, part, hollow diamond

Composition: draw from the whole to a part that belongs to it alone.

uml, relationship, connector, owns, contains, whole, part, filled diamond

Message: draw from the caller to the one it calls.

uml, relationship, connector, sequence, call, synchronous, sync

Reply: draw from the one that was called back to the caller.

uml, relationship, connector, return, response, sequence

Async Message: draw from the sender to the receiver. The same line is a directed association: draw it from the class that knows to the class it knows about.

uml, relationship, connector, asynchronous, async, sequence, directed association

One to Many: draw from the one to the many, such as a customer to orders.

uml, relationship, connector, crow's foot, crows foot, erd, entity, database, cardinality