Explain Actions, Initial Node and Activity Final Node in Activity Diagram

In the next video, you will be introduced to the concepts of action, initial node and activity final node.

In the previous video, you learnt that an action is a single unit of behaviour that is performed in a system. An activity starts from the initial node and ends at the activity final node. They can be represented as shown below.

Video Transcript

Actions are the smallest unit of user behavior. A bunch of actions constituted in an activity diagram. For example, in our inventory management system, you could identify multiple actions such as login, check notification, place order and log out. These act actions are executed in a proper order for completion of an activity. Let's see an example. In this case, we start with the initial node. The user comes in the user post login. He checks his notification if he needs to place an order. Then if he is less on stock, he moves ahead and tries to place an order. 

After he places the order, that particular activity comes to an end. So he tends to log out. Post logout the activity ends and is represented using an activity final node.

Video Recap

• Multiple actions can be constituted in an activity diagram for an inventory management system

• Examples of actions include login, check notification, place order and log out

• Actions are executed in a proper order to complete an activity

• An example activity diagram is shown, where a user logs in, checks notifications, places an order, and logs out

• The activity ends after the user logs out, and is represented by an activity final node

In the next video, you will see how to draw an initial node, an activity final node and an action in draw.io.

In the previous video, you saw how to draw an initial node, an activity final node and an action in draw.io. 

Through this segment, you learnt what are initial node, an activity final node and an action and how to draw them.