Tool Mentor: Managing Collaboration Diagrams Using Rational Rose

Purpose

This tool mentor describes how to use Rational Rose to create collaboration diagrams that show the interactions between objects.

Related Rational Unified Process™ information:

• Activity: Use-Case Analysis
• Activity: Use-Case Design

Overview

The following is a summary of the steps you perform to describe the interactions between objects using collaboration diagrams:

1. Create a collaboration diagram under the Use-Case Realization

2. Create an object in a collaboration diagram
3. Create links between the objects
4. Create messages between objects

For detailed information about collaboration diagrams, see:

• Collaboration Diagrams (Overview) in the Rational Rose online help

• Chapter 4, Introduction to Diagrams and Chapter 9, Interaction Diagrams and Specifications in the Using Rational Rose manual.

1. Create a collaboration diagram under the Use-Case Realization

When you create a collaboration diagram for a use case realization, consider naming the diagram "<use-case name> - <flow type>". This naming convention simplifies future tracing of objects to the use-case realization that they participate in. Also, use the documentation window to enter a brief description of the scenario that the collaboration diagram depicts.

2. Create an object in a collaboration diagram

A collaboration diagram is an interaction diagram that shows the sequence of messages that implement an operation or a transaction. Collaboration diagrams show objects, their links, and their messages. They can also contain simple class instances and class utility instances. Each collaboration diagram provides a view of the interactions or structural relationships that occur between objects and object-like entities in the current model. In this step, you:

• Drag and drop actors onto the sequence diagram.

• Add objects to the diagram and identify the classes the objects belong to.

3. Create links between objects

Links provide a way for two objects/actors to exchange messages. A link is an instance of an association, analogous to an object being an instance of a class.

4. Create messages between objects

A message represents the communication between actors and objects, indicating that an action will follow. It carries information from the source focus of control to the destination focus of control. In a collaboration diagram a message icon can represent multiple messages. When you create a message, use the documentation field in the Message Specification to describe the message.

The collaboration diagram toolbox contains two message tools. The forward message tool, bearing an arrow pointing "northeast," places a message icon from client to supplier. The reverse message tool, bearing an arrow pointing "southwest," places a message icon from supplier to client. The default synchronization for a message is "simple."

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