
Following our example, an action could be a user checking their account balance. Actions – An action or step in the activity in which the system or the user performs a task.An example could be a user logging into their account in a mobile banking system.

#ACTIVITY DIAGRAMS SERIES#
Activity or action state – Represents a single activity that sets a series of actions into motion.Initial state and final state – All activity diagrams have an initial state and final state that mark the start and end of the process.However, the difference between them lies in the elements and symbols that make up an activity diagram. What are the basic components of an activity diagram?Īctivity diagrams are often compared to flowcharts because they show how a process “flows” from one activity to another. Defining the logic or rules of a system.Illustrating the dynamic aspects of a system.
#ACTIVITY DIAGRAMS SOFTWARE#
Meanwhile, at the requirements stage, activity diagrams can be used to present different use cases for a system.Īs for the design phase, an activity diagram can model software elements such as method, function, and operation. What are activity diagrams used for?Īctivity diagrams are used for various purposes and at different stages in the development process.ĭuring the planning stage, you can create an activity diagram to depict workflows and visualize the sequence of activities in a system. UML activity diagrams fall under behavior diagrams because they model how a system behaves when actions are performed to complete an activity or process.Īlthough activities are usually laid out in sequential order, activity diagrams can also show concurrent activities or activities that are happening at the same time.Īn activity diagram can also be used to present the flow of events and identify the requirements in a business process. In UML, systems are modeled either based on their structure or behavior and are classified into structural UML diagrams or behavioral UML diagrams. 2018, Available here.UML or Unified Modeling Language is a software modeling language that is used in visualizing the design of a particular system. “What Is a Flowchart.” Lucidchart, 6 Sept.

“UML Activity Diagram Tutorial.” Lucidchart, 6 Sept. Even though both these have similar symbols, there is a distinct difference between activity diagram and flowchart. The main difference between activity diagram and flowchart is that activity diagram is a UML behavior diagram that represents the workflow of stepwise activities of the system while flowchart is a graphical diagram that represents the sequence of steps to solve a problem. AssociationĪnother difference between activity diagram and flowchart is that an activity diagram is associated with UML whereas a flowchart is associated with programming. UsageĪlso, an activity diagram helps to understand the business process or workflow of the system while a flowchart helps to analyze and design a program. Thus, this is the main difference between activity diagram and flowchart. Difference Between Activity Diagram and Flowchart DefinitionĪn activity diagram is a graphical representation of workflows of stepwise activities and actions with support for choice, iteration, and concurrency. In contrast, a flowchart is a diagrammatic representation that illustrates a solution model to a given problem. Throughout the activity diagram, the arrows represent the sequence of steps. Finally, the oval symbol terminates the flowchart. Therefore, a rhombus represents printing the variable area. It is the calculation of the area of the triangle. The input operating is to enter values for base and height. The rhombus denotes an input or output operation. The first rectangle is the process of initializing the variable area. The oval symbol represents the start of the flowchart while the rectangle represents a process.

The above flowchart calculates the area of a triangle. Furthermore, activity diagrams help business and development teams of an organization to understand the system processes and behaviors. An activity is some kind of an operation of the system. It represents how each activity flows one after the other. – Comparison of Key Differences Key TermsĪn activity diagram is a UML behavior diagram. What is the Difference Between Activity Diagram and Flowchart A flowchart, on the other hand, is a graphical diagram that represents an algorithm. Most importantly, it provides a pictorial representation of the software. Moreover, it is a visual modeling language to visualize, construct and document software. It is different from other programming languages as it does not use any coding. UML stands for Unified Modeling Language. The main difference between activity diagram and flowchart is that an activity diagram is a UML behavior diagram that represents the workflow of stepwise activities of the system while a flowchart is a graphical diagram that represents the sequence of steps to solve a problem.
