Domain Model Adding Associations

Chapter 11 Applying UML and Patterns -Craig Larman

Objectives

Identify associations for a domain model. Distinguish between need-to-know and comprehension-only associations.

Introduction

Identify associations of conceptual classes needed to satisfy the information requirements of current scenarios. Also identify the aid in comprehending the domain model.

Associations
An association is a relationship between instances of types that indicates some meaningful and interesting connection

Associations
association

Register 1

Records-current 1

Sale

Fig 1.Associations
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Useful Associations

Associations for which knowledge of the relationship needs to be preserved for some duration. Associations derived from the Common Associations List.

UML Association Notation

An association is represented as a line between classes with an association name. Associations are inherently bidirectional. Optional reading direction arrow is only an aid to the reader of the diagram.

UML Association Notation

reading direction arrow it has no meaning except to indicate direction of reading the association label often excluded

Register 1

Records-current 1

Sale

association name

multiplicity

Finding Associations-Common Associations List

The common categories that are worth considering are: A is a physical part of B . Eg: Wing-Airplane A is a logical part of B. Eg: SalesLineItemSale.

A is physically contained in B . Eg: RegisterStore.

Common Associations List 2

A is logically contained in B.
Eg:ItemDescription-Catalog.

A is a description of B.Eg:ItemDescriptionItem.

A is a line item of a transaction or report B.Eg:SalesLineItem-Sale. A is a member of B .Eg: Cashier-Store. A uses or manages B.Eg:Cashier-Register.
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Common Associations List 3

A is known/logged/recorded/reported/captured in B.Eg: Sale-Register. A is an organizational subunit of B .

Eg:Department-Store.

A communicates with B. Eg:CustomerCashier.

A is next to B. Eg:City-City.
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Common Associations List 4

A is related to a transaction B. Eg: CustomerPayment.

A is a transaction related to another transaction B. Eg:Payment-Sale. A is next to B. Eg:City-City. A is owned by B. Eg:Register-Store. A is an event related to B. Eg:Sale-Customer.
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High-Priority Associations

A is a physical or logical part of B. A is physically or logically contained in/on B. A is recorded in B.

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Associations Guidelines

The knowledge of the relationship needs to be preserved for some duration. Identifying conceptual classes is more important than identifying associations. Avoid showing redundant or derivable associations.

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Roles

Each end of an association is called a role. Roles may have

name multiplicity expression navigability

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Multiplicity

Multiplicity defines the number of instances of a class A ,that can be associated with one instance of class B,at a particular moment. Eg: In countries with monogamy laws,a person can be married to 1 person at any particular time.But over a span of time one person can be married to many persons.
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Multiplicity

Store 1

Stocks *

Item

multiplicity of the role

Fig 3 Multiplicity on an association.

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Multiplicity
* T zero or more; many

1..* T one or more;

1..40 T one to 40

5 T exactly 5

3,5,8 T exactly 3,5 or 8

Fig 4. Multiplicity values.

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Naming Associations

Name an association based on TypeNameVerbPhrase-TypeName format. Names should start with a capital letter. Legal formats are:

Paid-by PaidBy

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Associations Names
Store 1 Contains 1..* Register 1 Captures 1..* Sale 1 Paid-by 1 Payment

Airline 1 Employs 1..* Person 1 1 * Assigned-to * Flight * Assigned-to 1 Plane

Supervises

Fig 5.Association names.

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Multiple Associations

Two types may have multiple associations between them.

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Multiple Associations

Flies-to

Flight
* Flies-from
1

Airport

Fig 6. Multiple associations.

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Implementation

The domain model can be updated to reflect the newly discovered associations. But,avoid updating any documentation or model unless there is a concrete justification for future use. Defer design considerations so that extraneous information is not included and maximizing design options later on.
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Cleaning Associations 1

Do not overwhelm the domain model with associations that are not strongly required. Use need-to-know criterion for maintaining associations. Deleting associations that are not strictly demanded on a need-to-know basis can create a model that misses the point.

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Cleaning Associations 2

Add comprehension-only associations to enrich critical understanding of the domain.

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A partial domain model

Records-sale-of Described-by 1 Product Catalog 1 Product Specfication Contains 1..*

Used-by *

Describes

0..1 Sales LineItem

* Store 1

* Item Stocks 1 * 1..*

1..* Contained-in 1 Sale *

Logscompleted

1 Houses 1..* Register Started-by 1 1 Manager

Captured-on 1 1 1 1 1

Records-sales-on

Paid-by 1 Initiated-by Initiated-by 1 Payment 1 Customer 1 Cashier

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Without need-to-know associations

Records-sale-of Described-by 1 Product Catalog 1 Product Specfication Contains 1..*

Used-by *

Describes

0..1 Sales LineItem

* Store 1

* Item Stocks 1 * 1..*

1..* Contained-in 1 Sale *

Logscompleted

1 Houses 1..* Register

Captured-on 1 1 1 1 Records-sales-on Paid-by 1 Initiated-by 1 1 Payment Cashier 1

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Conclusion

When in doubt if the concept is required,keep the concept. When in doubt if the the association is required,drop it. Do not keep derivable association.

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