Parameter Sets

Activity Parameters may be bundled together into Parameter Sets.  Parameter Sets are mutually exclusive of each other and are considered either Input or Output Parameter Sets.  According to Friendenthal, only one Input Parameter Set may hold tokens and only one Output Parameter Set may hold tokens on an Activity, although a single Activity Parameter may belong to more than one Parameter Set.  A Parameter Set is represented as a rectangle on the frame of an activity diagram with partially embedded Activity Parameters.

Parameter sets can be useful in either-or situations.  For example, an Activity may output system position and speed OR system health status and diagnostic codes.

The SysML specification allows for the assignment of probabilities to Parameter Sets to model the likelihood that an input or output parameter set will have tokens.

A survey of current systems modeling tools, both commercial and open source, finds that possibly none fully or partially implement the idea of a Parameter Set.  A review of various SysML forums finds a small handful of posts asking if the Parameter Set feature exists for various tools.  This post will be updated if new information is discovered.

Papyrus: https://www.eclipse.org/forums/index.php/t/1083704/

MagicDraw: https://community.nomagic.com/parameter-sets-t1770.html

Enterprise Architect: https://sparxsystems.com/forums/smf/index.php?topic=7480.0

Reference:

Friendenthal, S., Moore, A., & Steiner, R. (2012) A Practical Guide to SysML. Waltham, MA: Morgan Kaufmann, pgs. 217-218.

Object Management Group (2018) OMG Systems Modeling Language Version 1.6. Needham, MA: OMG. Para 11.3.2.7.