Introduction

Introduction

This collection of pages provide guidance on using The Unified Modelling Language Version 2 (The UML) as a graphical notation for visualising, specifying and documenting the artifacts of a software-intensive system. They are aimed at those who wish to use The UML for communicating software designs to others.

It presents an abridged combination of both The UML User Guide and The UML Reference Manual. Taking an 80-20 approach (80% of designs can be described using 20% of the UML) this guide provides useful insight. Refer to the published books for an in-depth understanding of The UML.

The Unified Modelling Language is a standard way to document a system’s blueprints, covering both conceptual and concrete elements from business processes to physical hardware.

This document uses an imaginary “Click & Collect” system for a fictitious retail company for some examples. Whilst not completely unexpected from the author, it is however a contrived example; the purpose of which is to highlight various UML constructs in a brief space. It is deliberately simplified and not presented in full detail.

Any similarity in these examples to persons, systems or concepts, living or dead, is purely coincidental.