Interaction frames

In Unified Modeling Language (UML) diagrams, an interaction frame provides a context or boundary to the diagram in which you create diagram elements, such as lifelines or messages, and in which you observe behavior.

As the following figure illustrates, an interaction frame is displayed as a rectangular area with a heading label, or pentagon descriptor figure, in the top left corner.

A rectangular interaction frame is displayed with a heading label in its top left corner.

In sequence diagrams, the heading label of the interaction frame consists of text which is the name of the interaction that the interaction frame represents.

The frame and its contents represent interaction in sequence diagrams. You can nest a frame inside another frame or diagram. The enclosing diagram then reuses the entire enclosed diagram inside the new context. In sequence diagrams, a frame can represent combined fragments, which represent scenario constructs, and interaction occurrences, which represent an interaction within an interaction.

Parent topic: Sequence diagrams and diagram elements

Related concepts
Sequence diagrams
Lifelines
Messages
Execution occurrences
Interaction occurrences
Combined fragments
Interaction operators
Interaction operands
Guard conditions
Stop nodes

Related tasks
Referencing interactions from within other interactions
Creating interaction occurrences

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