Adornments for unresolved references

In Unified Modeling Language (UML) visualization class diagrams, Java classes and interfaces or Enterprise JavaBeans (EJB) enterprise beans belonging to different applications or projects that are not currently loaded in the workspace can result in an unresolved reference.

Unresolved references also occur if classes or fields are deleted when the diagram update policy is disabled. Unresolved references are shown in UML class diagrams with different adornment icons to indicate the potential sources of the unresolved references.

For example, a classifier or a relationship in a class diagram that has an unresolved reference (that is, the enterprise bean or Java class or interface that the diagram element represents cannot be found.) has a special unresolved view adornment to indicate that this shape or connector has an unresolved reference.

The image shows how adorments for unresolved references are represented in UML diagrams.

The circled "x" on the supplier side of the generalization relationship between ClassC3 and ClassC2 indicates that the relationship resides in ClassC3, but the supplier diagram element (ClassC2) is unresolved. The generalization relationship between ClassC2 and ClassC1 is adorned with a circled "x", which indicates that the Java extends relationship between ClassC2 and ClassC1 no longer exists.

 

Parent topic

About UML class diagrams

 

Related concepts

Class diagrams
Class shapes
Classifiers
Classes
Relationships
Attributes
Operations
Multiplicity
Visibility