Classes
A class groups objects that share the same characteristics and have similar behavior.
Class Properties
Different characteristics are available on classes.
To display the properties of a class:
1. On the desktop, click the navigation menu, then Logical data.
2. In the tree to the left, click the Packages Hierarchy folder.
The list of packages appears in the edit area.
3. Expand the folder of the class owner package.
4. Right-click the class concerned and select Properties.
Its properties dialog box appears.
Different pages are used to define the class properties.
Characteristics Page
The Characteristics page is used to enter different characteristics of the class.
• Its Name, which you can modify.
You can also modify the name of a class by clicking directly on the name in the diagram drawing and pressing key F2.
• The Owner package: in a class diagram that describes a package, any class you create is attached by default to this package.
• Its Stereotype: a stereotype is a type of modeling element that extends the semantics of the metamodel. Stereotypes of interest in HOPEX Database Builder are:
• Org-Unit: an org-unit represents the role played by something or someone within the enterprise environment of the modeled system.
• Control: this stereotype is used for classes that perform processing internal to the system. These generally require contributions from several classes.
• Entity: this stereotype is used to describe classes that are passive; that is classes that do not initiate interactions on their own. An entity object may participate in many different use cases and usually outlives any single interaction. They represent objects shared between the different actors that handle them.
• Enumeration: datatype containing a list of tabulated values.
It is possible to enter this list of values in the
Characteristics tab of the properties dialog box of the class.
• Expression: expressions of complex datatypes based on elementary types.
It is possible to enter the elementary type of an expression in the
Characteristics tab of the properties dialog box of the class.
• Primitive Type: this stereotype is used to describe the datatypes.
Other stereotypes can be created by the user.
• Another characteristic you can specify is the abstraction: an Abstract class does not have instances. It is only used to group operations or attributes common to its subclasses.
For other characteristics related to UML notation, see the
HOPEX UML guide.
Text Pages
In the Texts page you can add a comment for the class.
Comments can be used to add key information to diagrams when certain details cannot be displayed in the drawing. These comments are included in the document describing the class diagram.
To add a comment:
1. In the Texts page, select the Comment tab.
2. Enter the comment for the class.
3. Click OK to exit the properties dialog box for the class.
See also:
