In UML design terminology, composition is considered a stronger form of which object oriented relationship?

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: Aggregation

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
Composition and aggregation both model whole part relationships, but they differ in strength and lifecycle semantics. Understanding the distinction helps model ownership, lifetime, and deletion cascading correctly.



Given Data / Assumptions:

  • Aggregation represents a has a relationship with shared ownership.
  • Composition represents exclusive ownership where the part cannot outlive the whole.
  • UML depicts aggregation with a hollow diamond and composition with a filled diamond.


Concept / Approach:
Composition is a stronger form of aggregation because it implies strong ownership and coincident lifetimes. If the composite (whole) is destroyed, its components (parts) are destroyed with it. Aggregation, by contrast, indicates a weaker association where parts may exist independently.



Step-by-Step Solution:

Map relationships: aggregation implies sharing, composition implies exclusive ownership.Examine lifecycle: in composition, parts depend on the whole for existence.Conclude that composition is the stronger form of aggregation.


Verification / Alternative check:
Modeling tools and textbooks present composition as a strict variant of aggregation with stronger constraints on lifetime and containment.



Why Other Options Are Wrong:

  • Encapsulation is about information hiding and is unrelated to whole part ownership strength.
  • Inheritance models is a relationships, not whole part.
  • All of the above cannot be correct since only aggregation is the corresponding base form.


Common Pitfalls:
Overusing composition where aggregation suffices; confusing visual notation; assuming composition always implies physical containment rather than logical ownership.



Final Answer:
Aggregation

More Questions from Object-Oriented Data Modeling

Discussion & Comments

No comments yet. Be the first to comment!
Join Discussion