What would be the best UML diagram to show decoupling of two multithreaded classes, joined by a producer consumer queue.
I've done a whole bundle of class diagrams in the past, but they seem to be really static. Is it possibly the case that UML is not very good at modelling threading.
Thanks.
Use a sequence diagram. One lifeline for each class, one lifeline for the queue.
You can create views of the same model elements in more than one class diagram. I did very complex modeling with EclipseUML Omondo which allows you to have a single model and create as many as needed diagrams. The diagram is not therefore anymore the model itself but just a viewer of the metamodel. Using diagrams like viewer and not as model allows to reduce modeling not needed transformation complexity. It also add advanced heavy weight project modeling features.
I would say that with omondo I can model 50 larger models than I previously did with traditional diagram oriented tool. The metamodel UML diagram viewer (e.g. the diagram is only a view of the metamodel) versus the UML diagram model (e.g. the diagram is the model) is really a very very powerful approach !!
Standard UML doesn't support well concurrency. So UML has defined "profiles" for specialized needs. See Real time UML: advances in the UML for real-time systems http://books.google.com/books?id=LewzKVv3A20C&printsec=frontcover&dq=UML+REAL+TIME&source=bl&ots=VcKe_Lj8_P&sig=fpZ8hmokNe-rNUR4WlqTM1_1Fds&hl=en&ei=XIY5TLqrBpiTONnL7IoK&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CDIQ6AEwBTgK#v=onepage&q&f=false