Figure 1: Basic shapes and symbols of UML class diagrams

1. A class is drawn as a rectangle. The name of the class is displayed in bold type, inside the rectangle, and aligned centrally. When no other details of the class are shown the name may be displayed in the middle of the rectangle. In all other circumstances the name is displayed at the top of the rectangle. If the class is declared as abstract, the name of the class is drawn in italics.
   
   
2. The name of one or more stereotypes may be displayed above the name of the class as a comma-separated list within a pair of guillemot characters.
   
   
3. Below the name of the class, the rectangle may be split into a number of compartments. By default, two compartments are shown. The one immediately below the name of the class lists the attributes of the class. The second default compartment lists the operations defined for the class.
   
   
4. Each attribute of a class is identified by a name that is unique within the set of attributes of that class. The name of an attribute is optionally preceded by a visibility symbol (+ for public, - for private, # for protected). The name is optionally followed by a colon and the name of the type of the attribute. If the attribute belongs to the class rather than to objects of the class (known as a static attribute in Java, C++, C#), the attribute is underlined.
   
   
5. Each operation of a class is shown as a name followed by a pair of rounded brackets, and optionally preceded by a visibility symbol (+ for public, - for private, # for protected). Optionally, one or more parameters for the operation may be displayed as a comma-separated list between the rounded brackets. Each parameter is displayed as a name optionally followed by a colon and the name of the type of the parameter. If the operation returns a result, the type of the result may optionally be shown after the closing round bracket but must be preceded by a colon character. If the operation is defined for the class rather than objects of the class (known as a static attribute in Java, C++, C#), the attribute is underlined.
   
   
6. A solid line with a hollow arrow head drawn from one class to the another represents a sub-class/super-class (generalisation/specialisation) relationship  between the two classes. The arrow points to the super-class of the pairing.
   
   
7. A solid line drawn between two classes is an association relationship and represents links between objects of the two classes. The association may be given an optional name, generally displayed above or to the right of the line. Each end of the association may have an optional multiplicity indicator showing how many of the objects of that class are related to an object of the other class. In addition, each end of the association may have an optional name describing the role that objects of that class play in the relationship.
   
   
8. Multiplicities either expressed as an integer or an integer range denoted by the minimum and maximum of the range separated by two full-stop characters (periods). An asterisk symbol may be used instead of an integer to denote 'many'.
   
   
9. Where a whole-part relationship exists between the objects of two classes (where the objects of one class represent parts of objects of the other class), the relationship is drawn in the same way as an association but with an additional diamond symbol at the whole end of the line. If the relationship implies copy and delete control over part objects by the whole object (if a whole object is copied or deleted, the related part objects must be copied or deleted at the same time), the diamond is drawn filled and the relationship is known as composition. Otherwise, the diamond is drawn hollow and the relationship is called aggregation.
   
   
10. An interface is drawn as a rectangle in a similar way yo a class but always has an interface stereotype label above the name of the interface, and classes are shown as implementing an interface by drawing a dashed line with a hollow arrowhead from the class to the interface.
    
    
11. Arbitrary notes are displayed as text within a rectangle with a fold in the top right-hand corner. Notes are linked to their subjects by optional dashed lines without any arrowheads.
    
    
12. Other types of dependency between two classes are shown as dashed lines drawn between the classes with a stick arrowhead pointing from the dependent class to the class it depends upon. An optional stereotype tag, generally displayed above or to the right of the dashed line, shows the kind of dependency (e.g. uses, instantiates, etc) being modeled.