Class Diagram Elements (UML 1.5)

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Model element is any component of your model that you can put on a diagram. Model elements include nodes and links between them.

Available Model Elements of Class Diagrams

You can create model elements using the context menus in the Model and Diagram Views and using the Tool Palette.

The sets of available model elements are different for design and implementation (Delphi and C++) projects. The following table lists the available model elements of UML 1.5 class diagrams. The types of applicable projects are specified in square brackets.

UML 1.5 class diagram elements

Icon	Element	Name	Type	Comment
		Package  - [UML] Namespace  - [Delphi,C++]	Node
		Class  - [UML,Delphi,C++]	Node
		Interface  - [UML,Delphi]	Node
		Association Class  - [UML,Delphi,C++]	Node	An association class has both association and class properties and can be seen as an n-ary association that also has class properties. See N-ary Association in Relationships Among Elements of Class Diagrams.
		Structure  - [Delphi,C++]	Node
		Enumeration  - [Delphi,C++]	Node
		Union  - [C++]	Node
		Delegate Delegate as Function  - [Delphi]	Class member	Can be inserted into classes, association classes, structures, and namespaces.
		Typedef  - [Delphi]	Node
		Object  - [UML,Delphi,C++]	Node
		Generalization  - [UML,Delphi,C++] Implementation  - [UML,Delphi,C++]	Link Link	Generalization and Implementation links are created by the same command. Generalization indicates the inheritance between two classes or two interfaces. Implementation indicates a class that implements an inherited interface. See the description of Generalization and implementation relationships in Relationships Among Elements of Class Diagrams.
		Association  - [UML,Delphi,C++]	Link	Possible types: association, aggregation, and composition. See the description of Association relationships in Relationships Among Elements of Class Diagrams.
		Association End  - [UML,Delphi,C++]	Opens the Association End context menu to select the type (class, structure, enumeration, union) of a participant to add as an association end.	Used to specify association end classes (participants) in an association, which property is represented by an Association Class. See N-ary Association in Relationships Among Elements of Class Diagrams.
		Dependency  - [UML,Delphi,C++]	Link	See the description of Dependency relationships in Relationships Among Elements of Class Diagrams.
		Node by Pattern  - [UML,Delphi,C++]	Node	Opens Pattern Wizard.
		Link by Pattern  - [UML,Delphi,C++]	Link	Opens Pattern Wizard.
		Constraint  - [UML,Delphi,C++]	"OCL expression" or "free-syntax constraint"	By default, the Modeling tries to validate the specified constraint text as an OCL expression. If it cannot be validated, then the Constraint is red highlighted. To suppress red highlighting, set the Constraint language property to Text (in the Object Inspector).
		Constraint link  - [UML,Delphi,C++]	Constraint link
		Note  - [UML,Delphi,C++]	Annotation
		Note Link  - [UML,Delphi,C++]	Annotation link	You see the note connected by the note link with another modeling element.
		Image  - [UML,Delphi,C++]	Illustration - frame of the image placeholder.	The Tool Palette command puts on a diagram only the empty frame of the image placeholder. To render an image in this frame: Select this image placeholder. In the Image path property of the Object Inspector, specify the file of the image to be rendered. Here you see the Embarcadero image, rendered in the frame of the image placeholder.
		Image Link  - [UML,Delphi,C++]	Illustration link	You see the Embarcadero image connected by the image link with another modeling element.

Container Elements. Members of Container Elements

On class diagrams, some types of elements (containers) can have internal members. Internal members can be created in container elements using the context menus of container elements in the Model View and in the Diagram View.

Note that the sets of available container elements and their members are different for design and implementation (Delphi and C++) projects. The table below lists the available container elements of UML 1.5 class diagrams along with the members that can be added into them.

Available container elements and members

Container element		Members available
	UML	Delphi	C++
Package  - [UML] Namespace  - [Delphi,C++]	Package Class Association Class Interface	Namespace Class Association Class Interface Structure Enumeration Delegate Delegate as Function	Namespace Class Association Class Structure Enumeration Union
Class  - [UML,Delphi,C++]	Class Interface Attribute Operation Constructor	Class Interface Association Class Structure Enumeration Field Property Function Procedure Constructor Destructor Delegate Delegate as Function	Class Association Class Structure Enumeration Union Attribute Method Constructor Destructor
Interface  - [UML,Delphi]	Attribute Operation	Property Function Procedure Delegate Delegate as Function
Structure  - [Delphi,C++]		Class Association Class Structure Enumeration Interface Field Case of Field Property Function Procedure Constructor Delegate Delegate as Function	Class Association Class Structure Enumeration Union Attribute Method Constructor Destructor
Enumeration  - [Delphi,C++]		Enum Value	Enum Value
Union  - [C++]			Class Association Class Structure Enumeration Union Attribute Method Constructor Destructor

Classifiers. Inner classifiers

In general, those modeling elements that can have instances are called classifiers. Classifiers have structural features (attributes) and behavioral features (operations). In the Modeling, classifiers are the basic nodes of Class diagrams: classes, interfaces, association classes, structures, and unions. Some of them can include other classifiers, or inner classifiers. Notice that interfaces may not have attributes and interfaces may not have any direct instances, but you can model a prototypical instance of an interface, representing one of any potential instances of particular classes that realize that interface.

The table below lists the container elements of class diagrams along with the inner classifiers that you can add into container elements.

Inner classifiers:

Container element		Available inner classifiers
	UML	Delphi	C++
Class  - [UML,Delphi,C++] Association Class  - [UML,Delphi,C++]	Class Association Class Interface	Class Association Class Interface Structure	Class Association Class Structure Union
Interface  - [UML,Delphi]
Structure  - [Delphi,C++]		Class Association Class Structure Interface	Class Association Class Structure Union
Union  - [C++]			Class Association Class Structure Union

See Also

• UML 2.0 Class Diagrams
• Class Diagram Procedures