How to represent calls within same class using UML-Sequence diagram
I am trying to create UML sequence diagram for a particular process in our application.
The problem is that most of the business logic is in one class and when I try to map it in sequence diagrams, I am getting multiple calls to the same objects in the sequence diagram.
What I need is a representation similar to a stacktrace in UML sequence diagram. Is it possible using sequence diagram or is some other diagram a better way for representing calls within the same class? Please advise.
Answer
A few suggestions:
- You can show successive methods on a sequence diagram using self calls. See Figure 1 here for an example (self calls are the circular invocations on the same lifeline).
- As an alternative you might consider an Activity Diagram. Possibly better suited for illustrating order of methods.
- Refactor the code. Lots of logic in a single class is usually a bad smell. Assuming you have the scope, refactoring might be a good idea.
hth.