What is a UML Diagram?

A UML diagram is a representation of the components or elements of a system or process model and, depending on the type of diagram, how those elements are linked or how they interact from a particular perspective. For example, how and why an object changes state, or how requirements are realized by the process or a system.

Types of Diagram

There are two major groupings of UML diagrams:

• Structural Diagrams which depict the structural elements composing a system or function, reflecting the static relationships of a structure, or run-time architectures.
• Behavioral Diagrams which show a dynamic view of the model, depicting the behavioral features of a system or business process.

 

Enterprise Architect provides the following additional diagram types that extend the core UML diagrams for business process modeling, formal requirements specifications and other domain-specific models:

• Analysis diagrams
• Custom diagrams
• Requirements diagrams
• Maintenance diagrams
• User Interface diagrams
• Database diagrams
• Robustness diagrams.

 

Enterprise Architect also supports diagram types specific to MDG Technologies, including integrated technologies such as Mind Mapping, Iconix, BPMN and Data Flow Diagrams.

Work with Diagrams

Diagrams are developed in the main workspace in which you create and connect model elements. You create them by right-clicking a package and selecting the New Diagram context menu option, or load them by double-clicking their diagram icon in the Project Browser window.

For full details on how to work with diagrams, see Diagram Tasks.