Unit 8: Interactions
State machines are suitable to show the behavior of a single component at a time, and define its behavior in terms of states and transitions. We have also seen that state machines are used to define a protocol, as for instance TCP, by showing the behavior of each of the communication partners. Sequence diagrams, on the other hand, are used to specify the interactions between the components of a system. Interactions can happen through method-, function- or operation-calls, or via signals. Sequence diagrams specify therefore behavior by looking at the sequences of interactions between several components. These components can be within the same computer or far away from each other. Some of the components may not even be software.
Learning Goals
After this week, you will be able to:
- Create syntactically valid sequence diagrams.
- Validate sequence diagrams.
- Reason about design choices using sequence diagrams.
- Compare sequence diagrams based on their trace semantics.
- Find and resolve implied scenarios.
For the Semester Project
You'll need sequence diagrams to develop the interactions between the components.
Preparation
Go through the following preparation material before we meet in class:
Teamwork on Thursday
Go through the following activities with your team:
Concluding this Unit
Please clean up the room after you. Remove any trash or paper.
Team Reflection
- Add another section to the team reflection document, just like last week.
- How did the roles work today?
Individual Reflection
To conclude a unit, fill out the individual reflection. Also, make notes about ny observations, which will help you for the reflective essay at the end of the semester.
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