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Trigger

Description

A Trigger indicates an event that initiates an action (and might arise from completion of a previous action). You initially define a Trigger in one of four ways:

  • As a property of a Transition relationship
  • As a property of an Accept Event Action (on the 'Triggers' tab of the element 'Properties' dialog)
  • As an event in a StateMachine Table
  • Directly, as a Trigger element, through the 'New Element' dialog or Diagram Toolbox ('State Additional' page)

When you save the Trigger, it is added to the list of elements for the parent Package in the Browser window. You can then click on it and press Ctrl+2 to display the Properties window for the element, to view and, if required, edit its properties as an element rather than as a property itself. Triggers created as events remain as Event elements, whilst Triggers created in other ways are Trigger elements, with a 'Trigger' tab in the Properties window.

Field

Action

See also

Type

If necessary, edit the type of trigger:

  • Call - specifies that the event is a CallEvent, which sends a message to the associated object by invoking an operation
  • Change - specifies that the event is a ChangeEvent, which indicates that the transition is the result of a change in value of an attribute
  • Signal - specifies that the event is a SignalEvent, which corresponds to the receipt of an asynchronous signal instance
  • Time - corresponds to a TimeEvent; which specifies a moment in time

Specification

Either type in the event instigating the Trigger, or click on the Browse. button and select the event (depending on the Type value).

Ports

Click on the Add button and select the appropriate Port from the 'Select Port' dialog.

  • To create new Ports using the 'Select Port' dialog, the Trigger should be created as child of a Class or Component element
  • To add several Ports at once, press Ctrl as you select each Port
  • To check the exact location of a Port, right-click on the Port name and select the 'Find in Project Browser' option
 Select Dialog

Notes

  • You can also drag an existing Trigger element onto another diagram, although there are limited uses for the element in that context
  • This element is not the same as a Trigger Operation, which is an operation automatically executed as a result of the modification of data in a database

Toolbox icon

Trigger element

Learn more

OMG UML Specification:

The OMG UML specification (UML Superstructure Specification, v2.1.1, p.456) states:

Events may cause execution of behavior (e.g. the execution of the effect activity of a transition in a state machine). A trigger specifies the event that may trigger a behavior execution as well as any constraints on the event to filter out events not of interest.

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