UML Diagrams Zicomi Systems publishes some UML example diagrams online from the world famous UML dictionary. more...
Version 2.5 Released Zicomi Systems is delighted to announce that version 2.5 of Zicomi Mentor is released. With support for UML 2.0 and all thirteen UML diagrams more...
Zicomi Systems' Director speaks about the UML at Objects by Design - an informative interview more...
Partner Programme Zicom Systems is delighted to announce a new world wide partner programme, become a partner today. more...
OMG Member Zicom Systems is made a member of the OMG!
Expansion Node
An expansion node is a type of object node. They are used exclusively with expansion regions. An object flow that arrives at an expansion node contains a collection of objects or data, which are separated by the expansion node before being passed onto elements within the region. A region must have one or more expansion nodes receiving input and may have any number of expansion nodes as output including the case of having no output expansion node.
Explanation
An expansion node is always used in conjunction with an expansion region. Its shape of a number of little squares describes the fact that expansion nodes either input or output collections of objects or data. They either receive collections of objects from upstream nodes via object flows or they deliver collections of objects to downstream nodes also via object flows. Expansion nodes receiving input pass the contents of the collection onto nodes within the region and in turn these nodes may pass individual objects or pieces of data out of the region via an expansion node, which assembles the individual objects into a collection before they are passed out of the region.
An expansion region with the value parallel is related to an expansion node because an expansion node is used exclusively with an expansion region and either has an incoming object flow receiving a collection into the region or an outgoing object flow taking a collection out of the region.
An expansion region with the value iterative is related to an expansion node because an expansion node is used exclusively with an expansion region and either has an incoming object flow receiving a collection into the region or an outgoing object flow taking a collection out of the region.
An expansion region with the value stream is related to an expansion node because an expansion node is used exclusively with an expansion region and either has an incoming object flow receiving a collection into the region or an outgoing object flow taking a collection out of the region.
An object flow is related to an expansion node as it is an object flow that brings a collection to the expansion node and also takes the collection out of the expansion node.
