Activity diagram: Showing inputs via API calls

[avi-mak]

Hi,

Re: Activity diagram: Showing inputs via API calls

When I model an input to an activity diagram, I add a parameter on the left border (straddles”) and so I get a clear visual indication of input entering the activity via this graphic “pipe”.

With my platform (Sparx EA), this parameter then appears also as a code parameter in the behavior heading of the owning block. So far has been so good.

But of course that is not the only way that an activity can obtain input. The activity can also input data by making API calls to other blocks, e.g., Y.getdata().

Question: Is there any special way that you show this input via an API call? Or do you just add an action on the control flow whose name is “Get Y data”? And so on for all other gets? (And you can group them.)

Thanks,
Avi

[James Towers]

There is a “Call Operation Action” for that purpose 

Sent from my iPhone

On 6 Jul 2021, at 04:01, avi-mak <amak...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[avi-mak]

Hi James, Thanks for the response. 

>> There is a “Call Operation Action” for that purpose 

Is that  “Call Operation Action” element visible inside the activity diagram? Ie., inside the activity diagram's diagram frame?

(Seems that it is not.) 

(I am now spending some months drawing exclusively activity diagrams for single end-to-end flow scenarios.)

Back to you.

Thanks

Avi 

[avi-mak]

Ok - I see indeed that  “Call Operation Action” is an element in the Activity Diagram. Disregard my previous one-liner post. 

But the problem I have is as follows: your answer is very logical but not at all fine by me from a visual point of view: because there no visual consistency. A parameter object flow line coming from the diagram frame is much more visible.

When an activity has “mixed inputs” (i.e., inputs coming from both i/p parameters and also API calls), from a quick look you notice the parameterized inputs but not the API inputs. (Very important for novices and those you are trying to impress.)

So since you say you just add an action to do “get data”, my sugestion to add some visual obviousness and consistency is as follows: 

To add some visual obviousness and consistency to input via API call: Adopt a convention to add an API ‘input summary’ next to the left border – which lists all the activity’s inputs via other APIs.  

What do you say? Opinions?

Avi

[avi-mak]

When I wrote "Adopt a convention etc"  I meant of course to to add in a comment.

[avi-mak]

Hi James,

The diagram below is to show what I meant when I wrote that --  using the strict SysML method there no visual consistency between a parameter object flow line coming in from outside the diagram frame, on the one hand ---
and on the other hand, an input data that the activity gets by using an API call to an outside block. Enginesrs using visio wuld simply draw an arrow going from left to right, each towards the approriate step  box to indicate the input data flows. 

I accept the difference, but still neverthless there is missing the immediate visual recognition that there are 4 input data flows here, and not just 2 input data flows.

So I suggest a comment convention to draw a summaery of the ijnits via API in a comment box at fixed location. Hope I made myself understood. 

Other ideas and suggstions.

Thanks

Avi