Hi, everyone.

I've been using UML and BPMN for about 7 months now.  What I've found myself doing is using BPMN for modeling strictly mid-to-high-level business processes, and UML Activity Diagrams to model functional solutions and detailed systems logic.

Above I've attached an example of some logic using an Activity diagram for a report that I've been tasked with producing (I'm acting as both the BA and Developer [Programmer, what have you...]).  The idea is to be able to translate the actions and logic directly to code.  Approaching the construction specification this way allows any developer to analyze the logic that is being used.  We think it's far better than explicitly stating, "IF (this), THEN (do this); ELSE (do that)".  So far it's helped out a great deal.

Is it typical for Activity Diagrams to be used in this manner?  Most that I've seen look more BPM-esque, but that's what I use BPMN for because it just seems like a better suited notation for business process modeling.  Are there any other tools that any of you prefer to use to document system logic that could literally be translated to code?

Regards,

vinny

Thanks for the great information, K.  In response to your question in bullet point 3, actions 3 and 4 can occur in any order, but both actions must complete in order for that part of the process to continue.  The order of the actions could have been arbitrary, I suppose, but I don't want the programmer to think those two actions must be done in that particular order.  Your responce in bullet point 4 is precisely what I needed to know, by the way:  how method logic can be articulated.

That N-S diagram approach is strange, by the way!   Thank God I don't have to use that approach at work!

Again, thanks for the terrific information!

vinny

ofcourse i meant expansion regions :)