Diagramming the Class Diagram: Toward a Unified Modeling Methodology

Abstract

The object-oriented class is, in general, the most utilized element in programming and modeling. It is employed throughout the software development process, from early domain analysis phases to later maintenance phases. A class diagram typically uses elements of graph theory, e.g., boxes, ovals, lines. Many researchers have examined the class diagram layout from different perspectives, including visibility, juxtaposability, and aesthetics. While software systems can be incredibly complex, class diagrams represent a very broad picture of the system as a whole. The key to understanding of such complexity is use of tools such as diagrams at various levels of representation. This paper develops a more elaborate diagrammatic description of the class diagram that includes flows of attributes, thus providing a basic representation for specifying behavior and control instead of merely listing methods.