Swim Lanes in Activity diagram

The Activity diagrams in Object Oriented Design are just like the flow charts that show the sequence of steps that make up a complex process, such as an algorithm or workflow. Activity diagrams are most useful during the initial stages of the design phase. 

Example:
An example of the activity diagram for “TICKET VENDING MACHINE” is shown below: 

The above activity diagram does not show which organisation performs a particular activity 

Swim Lanes:
Swimlanes are used to show which activities are performed by which organisation in the activity diagram. The lanes are boundaries are drawn and the activities of a particular organisation are drawn in the same lane as that of the organisation. Swimlanes have to be ordered in a Logical Manner. It is suggested to have less than five swimlanes in an activity diagram. Swimlanes are good in that they combine the activity diagram’s depiction of logic with the interaction diagram’s depiction of responsibility. 

What is a Swim Lanes in details?

Swimlanes are horizontal or vertical lanes in an activity diagram that are used to organize and categorize activities based on the role or responsibility of the participant performing the activity. In an activity diagram, each swimlane represents a separate role or participant in the process. Activities within a swimlane are performed by the participant associated with that swimlane. Swimlanes can be horizontal or vertical, and multiple swimlanes can be used in a single activity diagram to represent the various roles and responsibilities involved in a process. Swimlanes are useful for visually representing the flow of activities in a process and for identifying the roles and responsibilities of each participant. They help to clarify the relationships between activities and participants and make it easier to understand and analyze the process.

For example, in an activity diagram for a software development process, swimlanes might be used to represent the roles of the project manager, the developers, and the testers. Each swimlane would contain the activities that are performed by the participant associated with that role.

In summary, swimlanes are a useful tool for organizing and visualizing the flow of activities in a process and for clarifying the roles and responsibilities of the participants involved.

The above activity diagram for “TICKET VENDING MACHINE” with the swimlanes is shown below: 

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