Chapter 2 Building an Object-Oriented Model

Defining generalizations

A generalization relationship between classes shows that the subclass shares the structure or behavior defined in one or more superclasses. You use a generalize to show a "is-a" relationship between classes.

You can create a generalization only from one class to another class, or from one interface to another interface. You can also create a generalization between a shortcut of a class to a class, or between a shortcut of a interface to a interface. If the link is oriented, only the parent object can be the shortcut.

You can create only one generalization between two given objects.

Generalization properties

A generalization has the following properties:

Property

Description

Name

Name of the generalization

 

 

Code

Reference name for the generalization

 

 

Comment

Descriptive comment for the generalization

 

 

Parent

Class or interface to which the generalization belongs

 

to

 

 

Child

Class or interface that belongs to the generalization

 

 

Stereotype

Subclassification of a generalization derived from an

 

existing one. Extends the semantics of a

 

generalization without changing it's structure

 

 

Visibility

Visibility of the generalization, whose value denotes

 

how it may be seen outside its enclosing name space

 

 

Virtual

Used in generation (except for Java and

 

PowerBuilder)

 

 

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Sybase 7.5 manual Defining generalizations, Generalization properties, Generalization has the following properties