Common notation
Text written inside <<>> marks is known as a stereotype. Its purpose is to further define the type of object to be modelled (e.g. an entity or relationship). We strive to use stereotypes in a manner that is as illustrative as possible in order for them to be self-explanatory.
Any type of line between two objects to be modelled denotes a relationship of some sort. The relationships used are set out in the table below.
Type of connection | Definition |
|---|---|
 | Generalization: The object at which the arrow is pointing is a generalization of the source at the tail of the arrow. |
| Association: a relationship between two objects that has an equivalent in reality. If there is an arrow at the end of a line, in this document it denotes the direction in which the relationship is read, (e.g., ‘includes’). |
| Composite aggregation: the entity on the end without a diamond is an essential part of the entity with a diamond. For example, customer details are an inseparable part of an agreement. |
| Dependency: The source is somehow dependent on the object. In this document, this type of relationship is always used with a specifying text or stereotype. |