C++ virtual method shown italic?

[tletsch]

Hello

Why is in C++ a virtual method in the classdiagramm shown in italic letters?

UML defines italic for abstract methods, which in C++ would be a "pure virtual method", e.g. "virtual void meth() = 0;".
(This is also done perfectly if I set the method to 'Pure').

Thanks for any hint
Thomas

[Makulik]

HI Thomas,

From where exactly did you get this information? I can'r find anything about your statement

UML defines italic for abstract methods

in the UML 2.2 superstructure definition (see 7.3.36 Operation (from Kernel, Interfaces).
May be I was looking in the wrong place for this.
I only found that for abstract class definitions there's an entry in the 'Style Guidline' section (7.3.7 Class (from Kernel)):
"• Put the class name in italics if the class is abstract."

I'm afraid how to render this is left open to the UML case tool vendor ...

HTH
Günther

[Geert Bellekens]

Günther,

You are (of course?) right, but you have to admit that it is a widely accepted convention to show abstract operations in italics
Showing virtual operations in italics is just plain misleading.

Geert

[tletsch]

Hello Günther

You are right.
To be honest, I know about that only from various UML-books. I didn't consult the UML-Specs :-(
Because I have never seen or read something else I thought it was defined that way.
When I first saw this in EA I was a little confused.

Maybe this comes from the fact, that in Java the Operation-Dialog has only one difference: the virtual-checkbox (in C++) is there the abstract-checkbox (in Java).
So in Java the behaviour for this checkbox is as expected (sets the letters to italic).

I ask myself, if it would be worth to place a request for this in "Suggestions and Requests" because it seems to be misleading (as Geert noted).

Thomas

[Makulik]

OK, to be honest I had to look up this myself. The question just made me curious. I didn't really came over this problem to have to distinguish this for clarity in a diagram.
Usually I'm putting any pure virtual C++ methods into <<interface>> elements. They'll appear in realizing classes only (I let them do so), if they are implemented and therefore
have a body.
That way I never had to distinguish between abstract and virtual operations, because they won't appear intermixed within a single element (class).

Just my 0.02 EUR

günther