IBM SG24-7368-00 manual Context diagram with blocks and associations

Figure 7-11 Context diagram with blocks and associations

A more complex option, but one that will likely carry more information specified with more precise semantics, would be to use ports and connectors between blocks in an enclosing context. In this case, I/O entities will be the information that gets exchanged through the ports and connectors. This will allow for greater specificity. The danger here is that specificity often comes at a price—perhaps it is too early in our analysis process to be at this level of detail.

This is a judgement call—we must remember why we are modeling (to manage complexity and to communicate effectively, among other things) and what we have to accomplish at any given point in our development process. It is often better to begin with less specificity (because we really do not know enough yet) and to refine and get more specific as we progress through our process.

In any case, here is an example of a context diagram using blocks, ports, and connectors (Figure 7-12).

162Model Driven Systems Development with Rational Products