How to show multiple stereotypes?

[Yi Chen]

Hi all,

As you know, we could use stereotype to show the stuffs like "Entity", "Stateless Session Bean", "Session Facade" and etc... My question is that how shall we show multiple stereotypes in Class Diagram, like a class is both a "Stateless Session Bean" and a Session Facade.

Thanks!

[Yi Chen]

Also, how do you show an EJB or JPA Entity in Class Diagram? I'd like to use stereotype. What about you guys?

Thanks!

[Prashant Purkar]

I have used @Entity as stereotype to show a JPA entity and use of annotation.

P

[Rahul Mishra]

Hi Yi,

Stereotypes are an extension to the UML language and are terms coined and used by Designers and architectst to express the design in a clear and concise manner .(we will get back to the reason for this definition in just a bit)

In my experience i have never seen a UML element annotated with two sterotypes, so i am not sure if its valid UML - as far as i remember each UML element can have only one stereotype (do confirm this though). If we look at your problem where you want to use two stereotypes on the same class to make your intent more explicit, i see it the following way (going back to the original intent of stereotypes) -

The stereotype <<StatelessSessionBean>> adds to the definition of the bean( it helps characterize the bean further).Hence use this stereotype in the class diagram.

The stereotype <<SessionFacade>> helps define the role of the bean( it helps define the role the bean plays in the scheme of your sequence).Hence show it in the sequence diagram.

I would love to hear opinions on this suggestion.

Cheers

[Yi Chen]

Thank you all.

Rahul, you suggestion give me a fresh angle to see this question.

[Hong Anderson]

What is the tool you're using? Didn't it display comma when you applied multiple stereotypes to a class?

[Janis Kazakovs]

Hello Yi,

I do not remember the specs, but I do not think that there is a restriction of a number of stereotypes you can use on a single class or component of your diagram.

As you know, we could use stereotype to show the stuffs like "Entity", "Stateless Session Bean", "Session Facade" and etc... My question is that how shall we show multiple stereotypes in Class Diagram, like a class is both a "Stateless Session Bean" and a Session Facade.

Just show both stereotypes.

Also, how do you show an EJB or JPA Entity in Class Diagram?

As it was already proposed by others - define your own stereotype and use it on your diagram.

Janis

[Rahul Mishra]

Then i stand corrected..

thanks janis

[Yi Chen]

Janis Kazakovs wrote:

I do not remember the specs, but I do not think that there is a restriction of a number of stereotypes you can use on a single class or component of your diagram.

Just show both stereotypes.

Thanks, Janis. One question - How to show multiple stereotypes? separate them by comma? or anything else? My UML tool doesn't support multiple stereotypes. But I think stereotype is very flexible. Separating them by something like comma could be fine. But I won't do this unless I don't have other choices....

[Janis Kazakovs]

Ok, I looked in specs (after such a long time). There what it says:

If multiple stereotypes are applied to an element, it is possible to show this by enclosing each stereotype name within a pair of guillemets and listing them after each other.

This means that you should specify multiple stereotypes on one class as follows:
<<StatelessSessionBean>>
<< SessionFacade>>

However, specs also say that

A tool can choose whether it will display stereotypes or not.

So, it is normal that your tool does not display multiple stereotypes.

I found another example in specs that presents multiple stereotypes separated by comma, so your assumption was correct. As I understand, in your case you can use the following notation:
<<StatelessSessionBean, SessionFacade >>
which should be also correct.

Janis

[Yi Chen]

Hi Janis,

Thank you very much for your investigation! Really appreciated!

[P Das]

I tend to subscribe to the view that multiple stereotypes can be included in the same guillimets, separated by comma(s), since I have noticed this quite often.

Is there any differing opinion?