UML Class Diagram

The class diagram depicts a static view of an application. It represents the types of objects residing in
the system and the relationships between them. A class consists of its objects, and also it may inherit
from other classes. A class diagram is used to visualize, describe, document various different aspects of
the system, and also construct executable software code.
It shows the attributes, classes, functions, and relationships to give an overview of the software system.
It constitutes class names, attributes, and functions in a separate compartment that helps in software
development. Since it is a collection of classes, interfaces, associations, collaborations, and constraints,
it is termed
Purpose as a structural
of Class Diagrams diagram.
The main purpose of class diagrams is to build a static view of an application. It is the only diagram that
is widely used for construction, and it can be mapped with object-oriented languages. It is one of the
most popular UML diagrams. Following are the purpose of class diagrams given below:
1.It analyses and designs a static view of an application.
2.It describes the major responsibilities of a system.
3.It is a base for component and deployment diagrams.
4.It incorporates forward and reverse engineering.
Benefits of Class Diagrams
1.It can represent the object model for complex systems.
2.It reduces the maintenance time by providing an overview of how an application is structured before
coding.
3.It provides a general schematic of an application for better understanding.
4.It represents a detailed chart by highlighting the desired code, which is to be programmed.
5.It is helpful for the stakeholders and the developers.
 components of a Class Diagram

•Upper Section: The upper section encompasses the name of the class. A class is a representation of similar objects that shares the
same relationships, attributes, operations, and semantics. Some of the following rules that should be taken into account while
representing a class are given below:
1.Capitalize the initial letter of the class name.
2.Place the class name in the center of the upper section.
3.A class name must be written in bold format.
4.The name of the abstract class should be written in italics format.
•Middle Section: The middle section constitutes the attributes, which describe the quality of the class. The attributes have the following
characteristics:
1.The attributes are written along with its visibility factors, which are public (+), private (-), protected (#), and package (~).
2.The accessibility of an attribute class is illustrated by the visibility factors.
3.A meaningful name should be assigned to the attribute, which will explain its usage inside the class.
•Lower Section: The lower section contain methods or operations. The methods are represented in the form of a list, where each method
is written in a single line. It demonstrates how a class interacts with data.
Relationships
In UML, relationships are of three types:
•Dependency: A dependency is a semantic relationship between two or more classes where a change in one class cause changes
in another class. It forms a weaker relationship.
In the following example, Student_Name is dependent on the Student_Id.

Generalization: A generalization is a relationship between a parent class (superclass) and a child class (subclass). In
this, the child class is inherited from the parent class.
For example, The Current Account, Saving Account, and Credit Account are the generalized form of Bank Account.
•Association: It describes a static or physical connection between two or more objects. It depicts how
many objects are there in the relationship.
For example, a department is associated with the college.

Multiplicity: It defines a specific range of allowable instances of attributes. In case if a range is not specified,
one is considered as a default multiplicity.
For example, multiple patients are admitted to one hospital.
Aggregation: An aggregation is a subset of association, which represents has a relationship. It is more specific then association. It defines a
part-whole or part-of relationship. In this kind of relationship, the child class can exist independently of its parent class.
The company encompasses a number of employees, and even if one employee resigns, the company still exists.

Composition: The composition is a subset of aggregation. It portrays the dependency between the
parent and its child, which means if one part is deleted, then the other part also gets discarded. It
represents a whole-part relationship.

A contact book consists of multiple contacts, and if you delete the contact book, all the contacts will be lost.