Android application and UML Modelling

Question

Hi I am trying to model the behavior of an android application via UML. I was thinking of using a mixture of sequence and activity diagrams.

Are there any examples on the level of detail to go into? For example I am drawing a sequence diagram for using locationClient to update the user location every 30 seconds but, I am not sure what a should or needs to be included. Any advice would greatly be appreciated.

Answer 1

The level of details depends on the purpose of the diagram, aimed audience and its abstraction level.

• Is it a conceptual level modelling, early analysis stage? Than just a conceptual entities, classes and objects with corresponding sequences or states will do the job. Only few or no methods, attributes without types, tec.

• Is it a clarification diagram to talk with business people? An activity would probably be the best choice.

• Is it a low-level implementation diagram, for developers to use it as a specification? Then you should use classes with concrete stereotypes, attributes and methods, with sequences/stats/communications.

For your example, I would first create a class (i.e. ClientLocator) to encapsulate this logic. You can also stereotype it to indicate the prog. language (<>, <<.NET>>, etc). This class then needs a method updateLocation() (stereotyped with <>) to implement this logic. I would also add a state machine to this class to model this 30-secs trigger and eventually other states. An additional sequence diagram to further specify that happens can surely come in handy.

Finally an advice. As UML is very abstarct and semantically open, simply try to be pragmatic. Keep your model purpose and aimed audience in mind and do whatever will maximaze the expresivness and communicate your message.