Representing System Behavior During Runtime as Activity

The activity diagram is used to model how the software should realize a particular behavior by representing actions and their flow within an activity. An activity diagram describes precisely one non-trivial activity of a behaviored classifier.

An activity diagram describes precisely one non-trivial activity of a behaviored classifier, i.e. its behavior during runtime. The activity diagram is used to model the order or flow of actions within the activity. Actions describe what is happening in a system. You can use the activity diagram to analyze the flow of actions in time, which events (messages) affect which actions and which objects are involved in the individual steps.

You can assign one or more actions to areas of responsibility. Swim lanes divide the diagram into sub-areas, whereby the actions located there are assigned to the respective objects.

Activity diagrams are usually assigned to a use case or an operation.

The actions are the central element of object-oriented modeling of flows. Simultaneously occurring and alternative flows can be modeled in activity diagrams. You can in turn refine individual actions with activities.

Activity diagrams can be used for

  • business process modeling
  • describing use cases
  • implementing operations