Actor Property Sheet Implementation Classes Tab

The Implementation Classes tab shows the list of classes and interfaces used to implement an actor. An actor can be a human being (person, partner) or a machine, or process (automated system). When analyzing what an actor must do, you can identify the classes and interfaces that need to be created for the actor to perform his task, and attach them to the actor.

Creating a Class or an Interface

To add a class or interface to the list, use one of the following tools:

Tool	Action
	Add Objects – Opens a dialog box from which you can select any class or interface currently existing in the model to implement the actor.
	Create a New Class – Creates a new class to implement the actor. The new class is available in the Classes folder of the current model or package in the Browser for use in other diagrams.
	Create a New Interface - Creates a new interface to implement the actor. The new interface is available in the Interfaces folder of the current model or package in the Browser for use in other diagrams.

For example, an actor Car needs the classes Engine and Motorway to perform its task. They are shown as related to the actor in the following figure:

You can display the names of the actors associated with a class on the Dependencies tab of its property sheet.

Example

Conceptually, you may link elements even deeper.

For example, a clerk working in an insurance company is represented as an actor in a use case diagram, dealing with customers who declare a car accident.

The clerk actor becomes an object in a communication or sequence diagram; those diagrams representing the actions between the objects, the clerk as an object receives messages from customers and sends messages to his manager.

The clerk as an object is also an instance of a class Clerk that can be found in a class diagram with its attributes and operations.