Additional information

Changes to Adopted OMG Specifications

This specification, in conjunction with the specification that complements it, the UML 2.0: Infrastructure, completely replaces the UML 1.4.1 and UML 1.5 with Action Semantics specifications, except for the “Model Interchange Using CORBA IDL” (see Chapter 5, Section 5.3 of the OMG UML Specification v1.4, OMG document ad/01-02-17). It is recommended that “Model Interchange Using CORBA IDL” is retired as an adopted technology because of lack of vendor and user interest.

Architectural Alignment and MDA Support

Chapter 1, “Language Architecture” of the UML 2.0: Infrastructure explains how the UML 2.0: Infrastructure is architecturally aligned with the UML 2.0: Superstructure that complements it. It also explains how the InfrastructureLibrary defined in the UML 2.0: Infrastructure can be strictly reused by MOF 2.0 specifications.

It is the intent that the unified MOF 2.0 Core specification must be architecturally aligned with the UML 2.0: Infrastructure part of this specification. Similarly, the unified UML 2.0 Diagram Interchange specification must be architecturally aligned with the UML 2.0: Superstructure part of this specification.

The OMG’s Model Driven Architecture (MDA) initiative is an evolving conceptual architecture for a set of industry-wide technology specifications that will support a model-driven approach to software development. Although MDA is not itself a technology specification, it represents an important approach and a plan to achieve a cohesive set of model-driven technology specifications. This specification’s support for MDA is discussed in the UML 2.0: Infrastructure Appendix B, “Support for Model Driven Architecture”.

How to Read this Specification

The rest of this document contains the technical content of this specification. As background for this specification, readers are encouraged to first read the UML: Infrastructure specification that complements this. Part I, “Introduction” of UML:Infrastructure explains the language architecture structure and the formal approach used for its specification. Afterwards the reader may choose to either explore the InfrastructureLibrary, described in Part II, “Infrastructure Library”, or the Classes::Kernel package which reuses it, described in Chapter 1, “Classes”. The former specifies the flexible metamodel library that is reused by the latter; the latter defines the basic constructs used to define the UML metamodel.

With that background the reader should be well prepared to explore the user level constructs defined in this UML:Superstructure specification. These concepts are organized into three parts: Part I - “Structure”, Part II - “Behavior”, and Part III - “Supplement”. Part I - “Structure” defines the static, structural constructs (e.g., classes, components, nodes artifacts) used in various structural diagrams, such as class diagrams, component diagrams and deployment diagrams. Part II - “Behavior” specifies the dynamic, behavioral constructs (e.g., activities, interactions, state machines) used in various behavioral diagrams, such as activity diagrams, sequence diagrams, and state machine diagrams. Part I - “Structure” defines auxiliary constructs (e.g., information flows, models, templates, primitive types) and the profiles used to customize UML for various domains, platforms and methods.

Although the chapters are organized in a logical manner and can be read sequentially, this is a reference specification is intended to be read in a non-sequential manner. Consequently, extensive cross-references are provided to facilitate browsing and search.