FUML15 — fUML should specify semantics for activity partitions

Activity partitions are currently excluded from the fUML subset "because they are a very general modeling construct in UML activities and their precise execution semantics is unclear" (see subclause 7.10.1 of the fUML 1.4 specification). And, in fact, despite more careful wording in the UML 2.5 specification than in previous versions of UML (see subclause 15.6.3.1 in the UML 2.5.1 specification), activity partitions still have a very broad set of possible uses with semantics that are not very precisely defined.

Nevertheless, activity partitions are widely used by modelers to define "swim lanes" on activity diagrams. Further, they are used in SysML as one important way for allocating system functionality to subsystems. Therefore, it would be very helpful if fUML provided a precise semantics for at least the most common usage patterns for activity partitions in general, which could also provide a foundation for more specific usages in profiles such as SysML.

Out of scope

The RTF has decided that this to large a change to the scope of fuml to be handled in the RTF process. Adding this capability to fUML would be better handled by an RFC or RFP process.