3.2. Common Mechanisms in UML
There are four common mechanisms that apply consistently throughout UML: specifications, adornments, common division, and extensibility.
Specifications
UML is more than just a graphical language. Behind every part of its graphical notation there is a specification that provides a textual statement of the syntax and the semantics of that building block. For example, a class icon has a specification that provides the full set of attributes, operations, and behaviors embodied by that class. Visually, a class icon might show only a small part of the specification or it might show the entire class specification. With this in mind, you could create diagrams with only icons and build up the specification, or you could create ...
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