TipsforUsingaVisioTemplateforUML2.

2
ThisdocumentcontainstipsandsuggestionsforcreatingUML2.2diagramsusingthestencilsandtemplatesavailableat http://softwarestencils.com.ItispossibletodrawallUMLsymbolsanddiagramsspecifiedintheOMGdocument formal/20090202,OMGUnifiedModelingLanguage(OMGUML),Superstructure,version2.2,availableat http://www.omg.org/spec/UML/2.2/. Thispdffileisforreferenceonly.Thelatestversionofthisdocumentisathttp://softwarestencils.com.

Macros
Thestencilsandtemplatedonotcontainmacros.IfVisioasksyouwhetheryouwanttoenableordisablemacros,disable them.

ImportantTips
ThesetipsareusefulespeciallyforthosewhoarenewtoVisio.Pleasereadthisdocumentbeforeaskingmequestions. However,Iamalwaysinterestedinyourfeedback,suggestionsandcomments.Ifyouhaveadditionaltipsthatcouldbe includedinthisdocumentpleasecontactme,PavelHruby,atph@phruby.com. Startbyopeningthetemplate"UML2.2Template".Thetemplatedefines allrequiredVisiosettings,andopensautomaticallytwostencils:"UML2.2 Symbols",and"UMLIconsandStereotypes". Thetemplateandthestencilsaredesignedtoworktogether.When startingcreatinganewdiagramusing"New/GettingStarted",lookfor thistemplateicon. Ifforsomereason,youopenfirstanothertemplate(suchasablank template,ortheUMLModelDiagramtemplatebuiltinVisio)andthen opentheUML2.2stencilsfromthisothertemplate,youneedtochange somesettings. ClickTools,Snap&GlueandplacecheckmarksintheGlueandShape Verticescheckboxes. WiththesesettingswillVisioautomaticallycreateconnectionpointson Lifelinesinsequencediagrams,whenyouconnectMessages,Fragments, orInteractionOccurrencestoLifelines. InVisio2000andVisio5,moreover,inTools,Options,Advancedtab,place checkmarksintheEnableMicrosoftBasicforApplications,LoadVisual BasicforApplicationsfromtext,andenableAutomationEventscheck boxes.

TipsforusingaVisiotemplateforUML2.2,availableathttp://softwarestencils.com

Page1

Whenyourightclickmostoftheshapes,ausefulmenu appears.

Youcanopenadditionalcompartmentsofaclass,object,package,part, component,node,state,andusecase.Todoso,clickthecontrolonthe bottomlineoftheshapeanddragitup. Youcanedittextintheadditionalcompartments.Toinsert newtext,selecttheshapeandclickonceontheadditional compartment.ItturnsgrayinVisio4.15.0andinVisio 20002002itchangesitscornerstoalightgreensymbolthat lookslike(x).Then,typeinthetext. Toeditexistingtext,selecttheadditionalcompartmentand pressF2,orselectTextTool(clickiconAonthemenu bar),orrightclicktheselectedcompartmentandselectEdit Textfromthemenu.EditTextmenuisavailableonlyin Visio2000andVisio2002. Toaddassociationrolesandcardinalities (multiplicities)toassociations, selecttheshapeandclickonceontheyellowcontrol(greeninVisio2000). Itselectstheunderlyingtextbox,whichturnsgreen.Then,typetextin.To editexistingtext,clickonceontheyellowcontrol,andpressF2,orselect TextToolfromthemenu. TextoftheLabelshapecanbemovedtotherightorleftsideoftheyellow control(greeninVisio2000).SelecttheLabelshape,andClickAlignRight buttononFormattingToolbartomovetexttotheleftsideofthecontrol. AlignLeftmovestextright,andAligncentermovesthecontroltothe middleofthetext.

TipsforusingaVisiotemplateforUML2.2,availableathttp://softwarestencils.com

Page2

Inthebottomleftcornerofmosttwodimensionalshapesthereisapool ofconnectionpointsthatyoucanmovearoundusingcontrols.For example,youcanmovethemneartoclassoperationsorattributes,and thenconnectRelationshipsorNotestothem.

Thereisanalternativewayofaddingconnectionpointstoashapeside. IfyourightclicktheshapeRegion/Partition,youcanturnitintoa ConnectionPointsLine,whichisaninvisiblelinecontaining80 connectionpoints. YoucangluetheRegion/Partitiontoanothershapeandinthisway increasethenumberofconnectionpointsonitssides.

TheStateLifelineinTimingDiagramcanbemodifiedbymovingthe controlsattherightside.

InVisio2003andearlierversions,youcaneasilychangeaclasstoan object,andviceversa,bychangingitstextstylefrom"UMClassifier"to "UMInstance".Inthisway,youcaneasilycreateacommunicationdiagram fromaclassdiagrambycopyingandpastingtheclassdiagramandthen selectingalltheclassesandchangingtheirtextstyle. InVisio2007,Microsofthasdisablesstyles,unlessyourunadeveloper mode.Howtoenabledevelopermode,pleasereadahelpiteminVisio 2007Whathappenedtostyles?

TipsforusingaVisiotemplateforUML2.2,availableathttp://softwarestencils.com

Page3

ThestencilcontainsbothUML2.2 shapesandnonnormativeshapes, whicharetheshapesnotdefinedinthestandard,butusedinsomeUML booksandpapers. Thenonnormativeshapeoptionsarealwaysatthebottomoftheright clickmenus;thenonnormativestereotypesandiconsareplacedafterthe iconNonnormativeUML. UnlessyouhaveaverygoodknowledgeofUML,dontusethenon normativeshapes.Rather,trytofindthecorrectUMLwaytoexpressyour softwaredesign.

StereotypesareinthestencilforVisio2000andearlierversions availablefromtherightclickmenu. InVisio2002andlaterversions,Microsoftforsecurityreasonsremoved thefunctionalitythatmadethispossible,therefore,pleaseinsert stereotypesastext. YoucansettheautocorrectoptionsofMicrosoftOfficetoreplace<<by and>>by,tomakeiteasier.Todoso,pleaseselectVisiomenuitem Tools/AutoCorrectOptions.Thecharactersandareaccessiblefrom CharacterMapinWindows.CharacterMapcanusuallybeopenedby selectingAllPrograms/Accessories/SystemTools/CharacterMap.

TipsforusingaVisiotemplateforUML2.2,availableathttp://softwarestencils.com

Page4

InformationforAdvancedUsers
Thestencilandtemplatecontainthefollowingstyles: o UMNormal:basedonstyleNormal,withArial8pt.regularfont,andLineweight1 o UMConnector(textstyle):basedonUMNormal,buttextisalignedleft o UMClassifier(textstyle):basedonUMNormal,buttextisbold,notextbackground o UMInstance(textstyle):basedonUMNormal,buttextisunderlined,notextbackground Thecontrolsusedfortextpositioningensurethataconstantdistanceiskeptbetweenthetextandtheclosestlineend, orthetextandtheclosestsideorsidesofatwodimensionalshape.Likewise,ifthetextispositionedinthemiddleof theshape,itwillremaininthemiddleregardlessofhowyouchangetheshapesize. ForVisio5.0andVisio4.1:VisioautomaticallycreatesnewconnectionpointsonObjectlifelinesandActivationswhen youconnectmessagestothem.(Ifitdoesnt,clickTools,Snap&GlueandplacecheckmarksintheGlueandShape Verticescheckboxes.)Ifyoulaterdisconnecttheobjectlifelineandthemessage,Visio5.0andearlierversionsdonot removetheconnectionpointsautomatically.Ifyoudontwanttoseetheextraconnectionpoints,youcanclickView anddeselectConnectionPoints.Alternatively,youcandeletethemmanuallybyselectingConnectionPointTool.You canthenselecttheextraconnectionpoint,whichturnsmagenta,andpresstheDeletekey.Visio2000removesthe connectionpointsautomatically. ForVisio5.0:TheroutableconnectorintheVisio5.0stencilsometimeschangesitspathunexpectedly,forexample, whenoneendoftheconnectorisinsideandtheotherendisoutsideasymbol,suchaspackageandclass.Visiofixed thisprobleminVisio2000andlaterversionsbutnotinVisio5.0.Therefore,ifyouuseVisio5.0,andtheroutable connectorwouldntbehaveasyouexpect,Irecommendthatyouusetheangledorstraightconnectors

DetailsabouttheStencilDesign
Somerelatedshapeshavethesamedesignanddifferonlyintheirinitialstates.Thismeansthatifyouredesignone, youmustredesignall.Thefollowingshapesarehavethesameorsimilardesign: o StraightRelationshipandRoutableRelationshiparethesameshape o Package,Class,Object,andPartarethesameshape o Activity/EventandObject/Signalarethesameshape o Region/PartitionandFork/JoinNodearethesameshape o PseudostateandFlow/Activity/Initial/Finalarealmostthesame;theydifferonlyintherightclickmenus. o FrameandInteractionOccurrencearealmostthesame;doubleclickonFrameeditsthetextofthepentagon inupperleftcorner,anddoubleclickonInteractionOccurrenceeditsthetextoftheshapebody.From developerperspective,FramehasdisabledEditGroupText,andControl3isinvisible. Althoughthestencilisdesignedtoallowmaximaldrawingfreedom,thereisasmallrestrictiononformattingthe textintheadditionalcompartmentsofPackage,Class,Object,Part,State,Node,ComponentandUseCase.Ifyou formatthetextintheadditionalcompartmentsusinghorizontalalignment=centerandverticalalignment=middle, thefirstcharactercannotbeunderlinedortypedinboldface.(Itcan,however,beboldandunderlined).Ifyouchoose oneofthesetwoformatsforthefirstcharacter,theformatautomaticallyswitchestothedefaultformatforthis compartment,whichishorizontalalignment=left,verticalalignment=top,andregularfont.Thesetwoformatsare rarelyused.Youmightcomeacrossthissituationpracticallyonlyifyouapplyyourowntextstylestotheshape.

TipsforusingaVisiotemplateforUML2.2,availableathttp://softwarestencils.com

Page5