Activity Diagram

What is an Activity Diagram?

An activity diagram visually presents a series of actions or flow of control in a system similar to
a flowchart or a data flow diagram. Activity diagrams are often used in business process
modeling. They can also describe the steps in a use case diagram. Activities modeled can be
sequential and concurrent. In both cases an activity diagram will have a beginning (an initial
state) and an end (a final state).

Basic Activity Diagram Notations and Symbols

Initial State or Start Point

A small filled circle followed by an arrow represents the initial action state or the start point for
any activity diagram. For activity diagram using swimlanes, make sure the start point is placed in
the top left corner of the first column.

Activity or Action State

An action state represents the non-interruptible action of objects. You can draw an action state in
SmartDraw using a rectangle with rounded corners.

Action Flow

Action flows, also called edges and paths, illustrate the transitions from one action state to
another. They are usually drawn with an arrowed line.

Object Flow

Object flow refers to the creation and modification of objects by activities. An object flow arrow
from an action to an object means that the action creates or influences the object. An object flow
arrow from an object to an action indicates that the action state uses the object.
Decisions and Branching

A diamond represents a decision with alternate paths. When an activity requires a decision prior
to moving on to the next activity, add a diamond between the two activities. The outgoing
alternates should be labeled with a condition or guard expression. You can also label one of the
paths "else."

Guards

In UML, guards are a statement written next to a decision diamond that must be true before
moving next to the next activity. These are not essential, but are useful when a specific answer,
such as "Yes, three labels are printed," is needed before moving forward.

Synchronization

A fork node is used to split a single incoming flow into multiple concurrent flows. It is
represented as a straight, slightly thicker line in an activity diagram.

A join node joins multiple concurrent flows back into a single outgoing flow.
A fork and join mode used together are often referred to as synchronization.

Time Event

This refers to an event that stops the flow for a time; an hourglass depicts it.

Merge Event

A merge event brings together multiple flows that are not concurrent.
Sent and Received Signals

Signals represent how activities can be modified from outside the system. They usually appear in
pairs of sent and received signals, because the state can't change until a response is received,
much like synchronous messages in a sequence diagram. For example, an authorization of
payment is needed before an order can be completed.

Interrupting Edge

An event, such as a cancellation, that interrupts the flow denoted with a lightning bolt.

Swimlanes

Swimlanes group related activities into one column.

Final State or End Point

An arrow pointing to a filled circle nested inside another circle represents the final action state.
Activity Diagram Examples

The best way to understand activity diagrams is to look at some examples of activity diagrams.

Click on any of these activity diagrams included in SmartDraw and edit them:

Activity Diagram - Email Connection

Activity Diagram - Order Processing

What is a UML Diagram?

UML is a way of visualizing a software program using a collection of diagrams. The notation has
evolved from the work of Grady Booch, James Rumbaugh, Ivar Jacobson, and the Rational
Software Corporation to be used for object-oriented design, but it has since been extended to
cover a wider variety of software engineering projects. Today, UML is accepted by the Object
Management Group (OMG) as the standard for modeling software development.

What is Meant by UML?

UML stands for Unified Modeling Language. UML 2.0 helped extend the original UML
specification to cover a wider portion of software development efforts including agile practices.

 Improved integration between structural models like class diagrams and behavior models like
activity diagrams.
 Added the ability to define a hierarchy and decompose a software system into components and
sub-components.
 The original UML specified nine diagrams; UML 2.x brings that number up to 13. The four new
diagrams are called: communication diagram, composite structure diagram, interaction
overview diagram, and timing diagram. It also renamed statechart diagrams to state machine
diagrams, also known as state diagrams.

UML Diagram Tutorial

The key to making a UML diagram is connecting shapes that represent an object or class with
other shapes to illustrate relationships and the flow of information and data. To learn more about
creating UML diagrams:

 Read Our UML Diagram Tutorial

 Browse Tips for Better UML Diagrams

Types of UML Diagrams

The current UML standards call for 13 different types of diagrams: class, activity, object, use
case, sequence, package, state, component, communication, composite structure, interaction
overview, timing, and deployment.

These diagrams are organized into two distinct groups: structural diagrams and behavioral or
interaction diagrams.

Structural UML diagrams

 Class diagram
 Package diagram
 Object diagram
 Component diagram
  Composite structure diagram
 Deployment diagram

Behavioral UML diagrams

 Activity diagram
 Sequence diagram
 Use case diagram
 State diagram
 Communication diagram
 Interaction overview diagram
 Timing diagram

Class Diagram
Class diagrams are the backbone of almost every object-oriented method, including UML. They describe
the static structure of a system.

Package Diagram
Package diagrams are a subset of class diagrams, but developers sometimes treat them as a
separate technique. Package diagrams organize elements of a system into related groups to
minimize dependencies between packages.

Object Diagram
Object diagrams describe the static structure of a system at a particular time. They can be used to
test class diagrams for accuracy.
Composite Structure Diagram
Composite structure diagrams show the internal part of a class.

Use Case Diagram

Use case diagrams model the functionality of a system using actors and use cases. Learn more
Activity Diagram
Activity diagrams illustrate the dynamic nature of a system by modeling the flow of control from
activity to activity. An activity represents an operation on some class in the system that results in
a change in the state of the system. Typically, activity diagrams are used to model workflow or
business processes and internal operation. Learn more

Sequence Diagram
Sequence diagrams describe interactions among classes in terms of an exchange of messages
over time. Learn more
Interaction Overview Diagram
Interaction overview diagrams are a combination of activity and sequence diagrams. They model
a sequence of actions and let you deconstruct more complex interactions into manageable
occurrences. You should use the same notation on interaction overview diagrams that you would
see on an activity diagram.

Timing Diagram
A timing diagram is a type of behavioral or interaction UML diagram that focuses on processes
that take place during a specific period of time. They're a special instance of a sequence diagram,
except time is shown to increase from left to right instead of top down.

Communication Diagram
Communication diagrams model the interactions between objects in sequence. They describe
both the static structure and the dynamic behavior of a system. In many ways, a communication
diagram is a simplified version of a collaboration diagram introduced in UML 2.0.

State Diagram
Statechart diagrams, now known as state machine diagrams and state diagrams describe the
dynamic behavior of a system in response to external stimuli. State diagrams are especially
useful in modeling reactive objects whose states are triggered by specific events. Learn more
Component Diagram
Component diagrams describe the organization of physical software components, including
source code, run-time (binary) code, and executables. Learn more.
Deployment Diagram
Deployment diagrams depict the physical resources in a system, including nodes, components,
and connections.

UML Diagram Symbols

There are many different types of UML diagrams and each has a slightly different symbol set.

Class diagrams are perhaps one of the most common UML diagrams used and class diagram
symbols center around defining attributes of a class. For example, there are symbols for active
classes and interfaces. A class symbol can also be divided to show a class's operations, attributes,
and responsibilities.
Visibility of any class members are marked by notations of

Lines are also important symbols to denote relationships between components. Generalization
and Inheritance are denoted with empty arrowheads. Composition is shown with a filled in
diamond. Aggregation is shown with an empty diamond. Dependencies are marked with a
dashed line with an arrow. Using << >> allows you to indicate properties of that dependency.
Multiplicity is usually shown with a number at one end of the arrow and a * at the other.

Package diagrams have symbols defining a package that look like a folder.
Activity diagrams have symbols for activities, states, including separate symbols for an initial
state and a final state. The control flow is usually shown with an arrow and the object flow is
shown with a dashed arrow.

Use case diagrams have symbols for actors and use cases.

Why Do We Use UML?

A complex enterprise application with many collaborators will require a solid foundation of
planning and clear, concise communication among team members as the project progresses.

Visualizing user interactions, processes, and the structure of the system you're trying to build
will help save time down the line and make sure everyone on the team is on the same page.