About UML shapes and UML notation

In Microsoft Office Visio, you'll find a shape for each element in the UML notation. These shapes behave as you would expect the UML element to behave. For example, the Class shape has three compartments for name, attributes, and operations, and the shape expands automatically as you add values.

The UML diagrams you create are views of the models displayed in a tree view format in the Model Explorer.

UML shapes must be properly glued together for the shapes to communicate with the model. When you connect UML shapes, the UML Model Diagram template helps you connect these shapes correctly by displaying a red outline around connection points or the entire shape.

To get help on any UML shape, right-click the shape, and then click Help on the shortcut menu.