Level 1: System Context diagram | Level 2: Container diagram | Level 3: Component diagram | Level 4: Code diagram
System Landscape diagram | Dynamic diagram | Deployment diagram

Dynamic diagram

A dynamic diagram can be useful when you want to show how elements in a static model collaborate at runtime to implement a user story, use case, feature, etc. This dynamic diagram is based upon a UML communication diagram (previously known as a "UML collaboration diagram"). It is similar to a UML sequence diagram although it allows a free-form arrangement of diagram elements with numbered interactions to indicate ordering.

Scope: An enterprise, software system or container.

Primary and supporting elements: Depends on the diagram scope; enterprise (see System Landscape diagram), software system (see System Context or Container diagrams), container (see Component diagram).

Intended audience: Technical and non-technical people, inside and outside of the software development team.

Example

This is an example dynamic diagram, showing how the "sign in" feature might work. The interactions can be animated, and the buttons are as follows:

  • Step backward.
  • Play animation.
  • Stop animation.
  • Step forward.