The Class Diagram
HOPEX Information Architecture provides two formalisms to describe logical data:
• the data package, to build class diagrams (UML notation)
• the data model, for data diagrams (standard notations, IDEF1X, I.E, Merise) See "The data model", page 25.
Data description in UML notation is carried out in a class diagram.
Creating a Package
A package partitions the domain and the associated work. It is designed to contain the modeled elements. Graphical representation of all or of certain of these elements is in a class diagram.
A database can be connected to a data model from the time of its creation. It is on this database that the different data processing tools can then be run (generation, synchronization etc.). The database package is the default owner of the classes and associations represented in the class diagram.
Creating a Package
To create a package with HOPEX Information Architecture :
1. On the desktop, click the navigation menu, then Logical data.
2. In the tree on the left, in the Packages folder, click All Packages.
The list of packages appears in the edit area.
3. Click the New button.
The dialog box for creating a package opens.
4. Enter the Name of the package.
5. If appropriate, enter the name of the Owner.
6. Click OK.
The package created is added to the list of packages.
When the OK or Create buttons are grayed, this is because the requirements for the dialog box in which they appear have not been completed.Connecting a Package to a Database
To create a package from a database:
1. Click on the navigation menu, then on Logical Data.
2. In the tree to the left, in the Database folder, click All Databases.
3. Click the database icon and select New > Data Package.
To connect an existing package to a database:
Right-click the database and select New > Data Package.Creating a Class Diagram
A class diagram is used to represent the static structure of a system, in particular the types of objects manipulated in the system, their internal structure, and the relationships between them.
A class diagram includes:
• Classes, which represent the basic concepts (client, account, product, etc.).
• Parts, which define the relationships between the different classes.
• Attributes which define the characteristics of classes.
• Operations, which can be executed on objects of the class.
Operations are not taken into account by HOPEX Information Architecture tools (synchronization, generation etc.).To create the class diagram of a package in HOPEX Information Architecture:
1. On the desktop, click the navigation menu, then Logical data.
2. In the tree to the left, click in the packages list.
The list of packages appears in the edit area.
3. Click the icon of the package concerned and select New > Class Diagram.
The new class diagram opens.
Note that when you create a package from a database, a class diagram is automatically created at the same time.
For more details on building a class diagram, see "The Class Diagram".