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UML-based web modeling: simulate a login process?

I am trying to simulate a website project using UML. My question is: in usage and activity diagrams, should I model the login process (and if so, how)? Looking around, I did not find a consistent answer to this question. Some people say that we should not show the login like any part of the system, neither in the usage example, nor in the activity diagrams; some people say we should. Can anyone shed some light on me?

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You are right, unfortunately, there is no consistent or standardized way to model websites and applications using UML. There are many approaches with different impacts, starting from the early Jim Conallen, from Creating Web Applications from UML over WebML to UWE , since none of them can be considered authoritative, it is best to solve this issue:

a) Look at as many of these approaches as possible and agree that what Morty does * and ...

b) ... use common sense.

One hint for each a) and b) from me:

a) There is a good example of a UWE UML model here . This example simulates the login process.

b) The process of logging into the system is a very important part of the use and activity of the site (let's say you have other content depending on whether you are logged in or not, you can go to the third site by an auth provider, for example OpenID,. ..). if you are not modeling it - what would you model then? I think that people who say that you should not model do this mainly because they use notations that are not strong enough, or they simply don’t know how to use them.

This, I think, is in line with my advice: make a model of the login process .

Good luck

* If you can still find them, some of them seem rather short.

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That's right. Model the login process. First of all, it usually contains complex logic (validation, password recovery), which you cannot afford to leave unmodeled. Secondly, who says that this is not part of the system? It may not be part of the problem area, but it is definitely part of the solution domain.

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Do not simulate the login process. Actors in UML represent user roles. If an actor can do different things than others, you need a login system! (and login is always logged in!)

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You can simulate a login (also based on the social networks API and thus reaching twitter, facebook and other logins) and all other relevant user interaction processes (including interaction with social networks) also with WebML and WebRatio . It is model driven and WebML notation will soon become an OMG standard called IFML . This tool is free for non-commercial purposes and personal use, you can download it for free.

[Disclaimer: I am with Politecnico di Milano and WebRatio and among the inventors of WebML / IFML]

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