Process Analysis Req for thoughts

[Bill Egge]

I am new to uml and I am starting to apply UML to my work.  So, I have somewhat analyzed a process and created an activity diagram for it.  It is not complete but it is what I can remember from conversation with her.  I was going to bring this diagram to her to make sure I understood her correctly and also to complete it, for instance "Is John the only one that notify's her" or "Where do you get the info for the labels".  But before I presented her with my first "official" activity diagram, I wanted to ask someone here if what I have done is correct or if you would have done it differently.

A little info.  We have many clients and those clients have employees.  Sometimes we "term" a client, and thus the diagram.

Here is the diagram.

[TrtnJohn]

If you wanted to even be more clear, you could add some pre-conditions, post-conditions, and scenarios to each activity and print the RTF generated document.  Although her head may explode when she reads it.

[Bill Egge]

Thats beyond me too :-)

I have not started learning those things.

[Paolo F Cantoni]

Bill,

The only things you're actually missing are the Initial and final points (ActivityInitial, and ActivityFinal).

They serve to formally "anchor" the start and end flows into or out of the activity.

Paolo


BTW, see the difference between this diagram and the Class diagram you loaded in the other post?  This IS a diagram of a business process...

[sargasso]

Interesting, this diagram highlights why "I dont like decision diamonds" and prefer to have multiple control flows exiting the activity with guard conditions.

Although it is not true of Bill's diagram, you could imagine instances where there is no instant recognition of the source of the decision.  For example, if the Receive Notification activity was a fair way away from the decision diamond on the diagram, or if the diagram was somewhat more complex.

Similarly, imagine where there is more than one inflow to the decision diamond....

Anyway JMTCW
bruce

[Paolo F Cantoni]

Interesting, this diagram highlights why "I don't like decision diamonds" and prefer to have multiple control flows exiting the activity with guard conditions.

Isn't this what I was saying in the other topic?  

Great minds or fools... springs to mind!

Paolo

[mikewhit]

Incidentally, don't use the 'bar' to rejoin the different alternate paths - they are supposedly only for use when you have concurrent activities which are now being resynchronised: http://www.sparxsystems.com.au/EAUserGuide/join.htm

[Bill Egge]

Incidentally, don't use the 'bar' to rejoin the different alternate paths - they are supposedly only for use when you have concurrent activities which are now being resynchronised: http://www.sparxsystems.com.au/EAUserGuide/join.htm

So just have the lines go directly into Print Client Term Letter?

[Bill Egge]

Here is the updated diagram.  I decided to keep the diamond for clarity.  But I will keep in mind the reasons not to use it.

[Paolo F Cantoni]

So just have the lines go directly into Print Client Term Letter?

You have two options here Bill:

1) If you decide to use Decision nodes, then you can use a Merge node instead of the bar.  A Merge node is a decision diamond in reverse.
2) If you take the view that Bruce and I are advocating, then you do away with decision (and merge) nodes and do everything directly.

In any event, it's better to be consistently wrong than inconsistently wrong...  So be consistent...

Paolo

[Bill Egge]

You have two options here Bill:

1) If you decide to use Decision nodes, then you can use a Merge node instead of the bar.  A Merge node is a decision diamond in reverse.
2) If you take the view that Bruce and I are advocating, then you do away with decision (and merge) nodes and do everything directly.

In any event, it's better to be consistently wrong than inconsistently wrong...  So be consistent...

Paolo

Thanks, I forgot about the merge node.
I decided to keep the diamonds in order to make decisions and merges explicit.  Although your way creates less diagram elements which can be nice when trying to rearange things to make the diagram look nice.  It seems that the secretary would be able to understand the diagram more easily if it has the diamonds.  I could be wrong.

Here is the updated diagram to include the merge diamond.

[Paolo F Cantoni]

No problemo!

That's what the forum's here for...

Paolo

[mikewhit]

So just have the lines go directly into Print Client Term Letter?

Either that or into another (merge) Diamond [http://www.sparxsystems.com.au/EAUserGuide/decision.htm] - but this has been discussed elsewhere recently IIRC ...

If using a Merge, I usually put the text 'merge' on it as well - just use it to emphasise that all the flows reconverge, or to show a single flow into another activity.

[TrtnJohn]

Bill,

You may want to consider using the "Bend Line at Cursor" option in your diagrams as well.  I always prefer straight instead of diagonal lines myself.  Just right click one of your control lines and select the option.  

[thomaskilian]

Bill,

You may want to consider using the "Bend Line at Cursor" option in your diagrams as well.  I always prefer straight instead of diagonal lines myself.  Just right click one of your control lines and select the option.  

or CTRL-click at any point on the line which toggles the "Bend Line at Cursor"