Activity+Diagram

= Introduction  = An activity diagram shows the flow of business operations. The state diagrams shows the different states of an object in the lifecycle and the transition in these states while the activity diagram represents transitions and the activities causing these transitions.  Activity diagram consists of the following:  ·  Initial node. ·  Activity final node. ·  Activities The starting point of the diagram is the initial node, and the activity final node is the ending. An activity diagram can have zero or more activity final nodes. In between activities are represented by rounded rectangles. =  Swim lanes   = Activity diagrams can be used to show which actor performed which activity. This can be done by drawing vertical columns, separated by thick vertical black lines known as “swim lanes” and the swim lanes should be labeled with the name of the actor. The activities are placed below the actor performing the activity and then these activities are connected. =  Basic Notation   = Filled in circle || Starting point of the diagram. || Filled in circle || Ending point of the diagram. || Rounded rectangles || Activities can be physical or electronic. || The arrows on the diagram || Shows the flow of activities || Black bar with one arrow going into it and several leaving it. || Shows the beginning of parallel activity. || Black bar with several arrows entering it and one leaving it. || Shows the end of parallel activity. || T ext || Statement to be evaluated can be true or false. || A diamond with one arrow entering and several leaving || Indicates decisions ||  A diamond with several arrows entering and one leaving. || Indicates that several activities are being merged together. || Vertical bars between columns || swim lanes || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">rake in the bottom corner of an activity || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Shows nested activity diagrams. || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Circle with diagonal lines || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Shows the end of the process. || =  Advanced Notation   = <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Can have the following three types of activity diagrams:
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Notation ** ||
 * Shape ** ||
 * Description ** ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Initial node ** ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Initial node ** ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Initial node ** ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Activity final node ** ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Activity final node ** ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Activity ** ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Activity ** ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Flow/edge ** ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Flow/edge ** ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Fork ** ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Fork ** ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Join ** ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Join ** ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Condition ** ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Condition ** ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Decision ** ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Decision ** ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Merge ** ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Merge ** ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Partition ** ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Partition ** ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Sub-activity indicator ** ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Sub-activity indicator ** ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Flow Final ** ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Flow Final ** ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Conditional threads
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Nested activity diagrams
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Partitions

Conditional Threads
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Guard conditions can be used to show that one of a set of concurrent threads is conditional. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">

Nested Activity Diagrams
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; color: black;">A nested activity diagram is one in which the activity state contains the activity diagram. This can be done either by placing the diagram within the state or the state could refer tom another diagram. If there is complexity in reading the internal structure of the state it is better to let it refer to the activity diagram. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">

P artitio ns
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; color: black;">The contents of an activity diagram may be organized into partitions (swim lanes) using solid vertical lines. A partition may represent an organizational department or unit of some kind. = Conclusion  = <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">These are some ultimate end uses of Activity Diagrams: <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> ·  **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Determining features (requirements) **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">. New use cases often generate new requirements as the system is analyzed and the design takes shape. <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> ·  **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Communicating with clients **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">. Their notational simplicity makes use case diagrams a good way for developers to communicate with clients. <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"> ·  **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Generating test cases **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">. The collection of scenarios for a use case may suggest a suite of test cases for those scenarios. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; color: black;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; color: black;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; color: black;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; color: black;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; color: black;"> = References  = [|**http://www.agilemodeling.com/artifacts/activityDiagram.htm**]<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; color: black;"> [|**http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/rational/library/2802.html**]<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; color: black;"> [|**http://www.developer.com/design/article.php/2247041**]<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; color: black;"> [|**http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Activity_diagram**] [|**http://atlas.kennesaw.edu/~dbraun/csis4650/A&D/UML_tutorial/activity.htm**] [|**http://dn.codegear.com/article/31863**] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; color: black;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; color: black;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; color: black;">