UML Behavioral Models

UML Behavioral Diagrams depict the elements of a system that are dependent on time and that convey the dynamic concepts of the system and how they relate to each other. The elements in these diagrams resemble the verbs in a natural language and the relationships that connect them typically convey the passage of time. For example, a behavioral diagram of a vehicle reservation system might contain elements such as Make a Reservation, Rent a Car, and Provide Credit Card Details. Experienced modelers will show the relationship to structural elements on these diagrams.

The UML defines seven types of behavioral diagrams.

Diagram Types

Diagram Type	Detail	See also
Activity Diagrams	Activity diagrams model the behaviors of a system, and the way in which these behaviors are related in an overall flow of the system.	Activity diagrams
Use Case Diagrams	Use Case diagrams capture Use Cases and relationships among Actors and the system; they describes the functional requirements of the system, the manner in which external operators interact at the system boundary, and the response of the system.	Use Case diagrams
StateMachine Diagrams	StateMachine diagrams illustrate how an element can move between states, classifying its behavior according to transition triggers and constraining guards.	State Machine diagrams
Timing Diagrams	Timing diagrams define the behavior of different objects within a time-scale, providing a visual representation of objects changing state and interacting over time.	Timing diagrams
Sequence Diagrams	Sequence diagrams are structured representations of behavior as a series of sequential steps over time. They are used to depict workflow, Message passing and how elements in general cooperate over time to achieve a result.	Sequence diagrams
Communication Diagrams	Communication diagrams show the interactions between elements at run-time, visualizing inter-object relationships.	Communication diagrams
Interaction Overview Diagrams	Interaction Overview diagrams visualize the cooperation between interaction diagrams (Timing, Sequence, Communication and other Interaction Overview diagrams) to illustrate a control flow serving an encompassing purpose.	Interaction Overview diagrams

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