Glossary of Terms

Attribute

A single piece or a collection of data that does not possess behavior.

Classed-based relationship

An object-oriented relationship between two classes in which all objects of the classes involved obey the relationship.

Container class

A class whose main purpose is the storage of other objects. Often implemented as a homogeneous-looking list of heterogeneous objects, namely, a polymorphic list.

Containment by reference

A containment relationship in which the contained object is indirectly linked to the containing class, usually via a pointer or referential attribute.

Containment by value

A containment relationship in which the contained object is directly linked to the containing class, that is, the objects involved in the relationship are born and die together.

Containment relationship

An object-based relationship between two classes in which one of the classes has as its attribute an object (directly or indirectly) of the other class. Additionally, the contained object must not be visible outside of the containing class.

Descriptive attribute

An attribute that contains a descriptive piece of data concerning the objects of a class.

Object-based relationship

An object-oriented relationship between two classes in which all objects of the classes involved do not obey the relationship.

Referential attribute

A special type of attribute through which one object can retrieve another object.

Semantic constraint

An application-specific constraint imposed on an object-oriented relationship restricting its scope or behavior, most often associated with the containment relationship.

Uses relationship

An object-based relationship between two classes in which one class references a public operation(s) of the other class.