A Qualifier reduces the multiplicity of an Association, typically from many to one. One-to-many and many-to-many associations can be qualified. The qualifier serves to distinguish a set of objects at the many end of an Association. A qualified Association can be considered a form of Ternary Association.
You create a Qualifier through the Property Pages of an Association. On the Start Role or End Role tab, type the name of the Qualifier in the When Qualified By box; Modeler creates the Qualifier in the model. Note that if you clear the When Qualified By box, Modeler deletes the Qualifier.
When used on a diagram, a Qualifier's notation is as follows:
In the Modeler panes, a short-cut symbol on the Qualifier's icon indicates that the item is a stub.
If you select the UML\Qualifiers folder in the Dictionary pane, the Contents pane displays the following information about each Qualifier in the model: Association.
The following sections provide information about how a Qualifier is used in the model. For more information about a property, item, model part or diagram, click it.
Properties
Comprises only the standard properties.
To view the Property Pages for an Qualifier, you must select the Qualifier in a Modeler pane.
Dependency - The Dependency is owned jointly by the Qualifier and the other associated item. The access permissions you have to a Dependency are determined by the access permissions of the dependent item.