System Model Semantics of Class Diagrams

TL;DR

This paper presents a denotational approach to defining precise semantics for UML class diagrams using a system model, addressing existing ambiguities and disagreements in UML interpretation.

Contribution

It introduces a formal semantics framework for UML, specifically for UML/P class diagrams, demonstrating how to map UML constructs into a rigorous system model.

Findings

Semantic definitions for UML/P class diagrams are detailed and precise.

The approach helps resolve ambiguities in UML semantics.

The system model effectively captures the meaning of class diagram constructs.

Abstract

Defining semantics for UML is a difficult task. Disagreements in the meaning of UML constructs as well as the size of UML are major obstacles. In this report, we describe our approach to define the semantics for UML. Semantics is defined denotationally as a mapping into our semantics domain called the system model [4, 5, 6]. We demonstrate our approach by defining the semantics for a comprehensive version of class diagrams. The semantics definition is detailed for UML/P class diagrams, a variant of class diagrams which restricts the use of a few methodologically and semantically involved concepts. Class diagrams are well-known and rather easy to understand and thus perfect to examine the usability of the system model for precise semantic mappings.