Being a software engineer building new functionalities and integrations, I found that system design is an important step to develop a scalable, resilient, and functional system. Here are useful diagrams to demonstrate and communicate my design to different stakeholders.
1. Use Case Diagram:
- Illustrates the system’s functionality and interactions with external entities (actors).
- Shows the system’s use cases and actors involved in each use case.
2. Class Diagram:
- Describes the structure of the system by showing its classes, attributes, methods, and relationships among objects.
- Commonly used in object-oriented design.
3. Sequence Diagram:
- Represents the sequence of messages exchanged between objects to carry out a specific function or process.
- Useful for detailing the interaction between components over time.
4. Activity Diagram:
- Depicts the workflow or activities within a system.
- Similar to a flowchart, showing control flow from one activity to another.
5. Component Diagram:
- Shows the organisation and dependencies among a set of components.
- Illustrates the structure of the software system in terms of components and their relationships.
6. Deployment Diagram:
- Represents the physical deployment of artifacts (software) on nodes (hardware).
- Used to model the physical aspects of the system, including hardware and software distribution.
7. State Diagram:
- Illustrates the states of an object and transitions between those states.
- Useful for modeling the lifecycle of an object.
8. ER Diagram (Entity-Relationship Diagram):
- Used to model the data structure by showing entities, attributes, and relationships between entities.
- Common in database design.
9. Data Flow Diagram (DFD):
- Shows how data moves through a system and the processes that transform the data.
- Useful for visualising data processing and flow.
10. Architecture Diagram:
- Provides a high-level overview of the system’s architecture, including key components and their interactions.
- Often used to convey the big picture to stakeholders.
11. Network Diagram:
- Represents the network structure of a system, including nodes and connections.
- Useful for visualising network topology and communication paths.
These diagrams help in understanding, designing, and documenting various aspects of a system, ensuring that all stakeholders have a clear understanding of how the system is structured and operates.
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