UML Information Flow Diagrams

Information flow diagram is UML behavior diagram which shows exchange of information between system entities at some high levels of abstraction. Information flows may be useful to describe circulation of information through a system by representing aspects of models not yet fully specified or with less details.

Information flows do not specify the nature of the information, mechanisms by which it is conveyed, sequences of exchange, or any control conditions. Information items can be used to represent the information that flows through a system along the information flows before details of their realization have been designed.

UML information flow diagram elements - information flow, information item.

Limitations of Information Flow Diagrams

Information flow diagrams in UML provide fairly meager expressive capabilities.

Information items provide no details about the information they transfer. They do not have features, generalizations, or associations.