UML 1.4 NO IDEA Avatar
  1. OMG Issue

UML14 — UML 1.4: Feature containment problem

  • Key: UML14-78
  • Legacy Issue Number: 4732
  • Status: closed  
  • Source: Anonymous
  • Summary:

    According to the UML 1.4 standard, a Feature [UML 1.4, pp. 2-13] is
    contained either as an "feature" in a Classifier, or as an "ownedElement"
    [UML 1.4, pp. 2-13] in a Model, Package, Artifact, Node or ClassifierRole
    (other containers excluded because of restrictions they make on the
    "ownedElement" containment in their wellformedness rules). In addition an
    Attribute (subclass of Feature) may be contained as a "qualifier" in an
    AssociationEnd [UML 1.4, pp. 2-14].

    The question is: is the containment as an "ownedElement" intended? If so,
    please explain the meaning of e.g. an Operation contained directly in an
    otherwise empty Package.

    If not, it should be stated unambiguously so in the wellformedness rules for
    Feature:

    self.namespace = null

    Remarks:
    ========
    It should be noted that the standard does make a number of partly
    contradictory statements which seem to indicate that Features can not be
    used as ownedElements:

    Page 2-25: "BehavioralFeature specifies a behavioral aspect of a
    Classifier."
    Page 2-36: "A feature [...] is encapsulated within a Classifier."
    [contradicts with the statement below].
    Page 2-37: "Note that an Attribute may be owned by a Classifier (in which
    case it is a feature) or an AssociationEnd (in which case it is a qualifier)
    but not both."
    Page 2-42: "Method is a declaration of a named piece of behavior in a
    Classifier"
    Page 2-45: "Operation is a BehavioralFeature that can be applied to the
    Instances of the Classifier that contains the Operation.".

    These statements could however be made unambiguous by adding the mentioned
    wellformedness rule.

  • Reported: XMI 1.3 — Wed, 5 Dec 2001 05:00 GMT
  • Disposition: Resolved — UML 1.4.2
  • Disposition Summary:

    No Data Available

  • Updated: Fri, 6 Mar 2015 20:58 GMT