Summary

The purpose of the UML is to both flesh out your designs and to communicate them. Do not worry so much about creating diagrams the “right” way. Think about the best way to communicate the concepts in your design. In other words,

• If you think something needs to be said, use a Note to say it.

• If you aren't sure about an icon or a symbol and you have to look it up to find out its meaning, include a note to explain it since others may be unclear about its meaning, too.

• Go for clarity.

Of course, this means you should not use the UML in nonstandard ways—that does not communicate properly either. Just consider what you are trying to communicate as your draw your diagrams.