
However, when the object flow arrow goes from an object to an action, it means that the action state uses the object in some way. When an object flow arrow goes from an action to an object, it means that the object was changed or created. Object flow – Sometimes, actions create or change objects. They are represented simply with an arrow, attached to a start point or action state.Īction/activity state – Usually in an oblong circle or unboxed, this is the action that is performed by an object. The arrow attached shows the first action that takes place when the sequence starts.Īction flow – These arrows show the flow of one action into another.

Initial state (start point) – Represented by a small, filled-in circle, the start point is where the activity diagram begins. Notations and symbolsĪctivity diagrams have special UML symbols that easily tell the reader what the item is and which way the action flows. There are many UML symbols and notations used in activity diagrams, but these are some of the most common ones you’ll see. While they can be either concurrent or sequential, all activity diagrams have a beginning and an end state. They are similar to flowcharts, and show the outcomes of each action, and actions that happen after specific responses. Activity diagramsĪctivity diagrams show the order or flow of operations in a system. Make your own UML sequence diagram with Gleek.

If you’re curious about other diagram types that use UML, read more about them in UML diagram types: everything you need to know and UML relationships articles. Why is this important? UML is used in both sequence and activity diagrams, along with many other types like class diagram, use case diagram, communication diagram, object diagram and etc.
#System sequence diagram software
Universal Modeling Language, also known as UML, is a standardized language used in software diagrams to represent the items, processes, and relationships within a system. But, before we get into these two diagram types, we first need to talk about UML. Both activity diagrams and sequence diagrams are used by software developers to show actions and relationships within a software system.
