Class diagram aspect ratio

[xiaohan28]

Very hard to read due to the aspect ratio. The width is too wide, perhaps can break the class diagram into two so it fits the aspect ratio of the pdf so the information in the class diagram can be clearer.

[nus-se-script]

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Team's Response

Thank you for bringing this to our attention. While we recognize your concerns regarding the diagram’s aspect ratio, we have determined that this issue is out of scope for our project. We are following the AB3 Developer Guide (see attached screenshot) for the project, and this particular aspect (the diagram width/aspect ratio) is not addressed in their guidelines.

Issue Explanation:

• The class diagram displayed has a wide aspect ratio, making it difficult to read.

• Although adjusting the diagram’s width or breaking it into segments could improve clarity, the AB3 Developer Guide does not require nor mention this as part of the project’s scope.

Rationale for Reclassification:

• Since our project adheres to the AB3 Developer Guide and the guide does not provide specific instructions regarding diagram dimension adjustments, we consider this matter outside our current project requirements.

• Therefore, we have determined that this is not a bug that affects our application’s functionality or deliverables, and we are marking it as out of scope.

Next Steps:

• Maintain AB3 Standards: We will continue to follow the AB3 Developer Guide, ensuring that our project aligns with the specified guidelines and deliverables.

• However, a good point has been raised to ensure readability of our diagrams, and we believe we need to look into different ways of adding such large class diagrams into the DG.

Items for the Tester to Verify

❓ Issue response

Team chose [response.NotInScope]

• I disagree

Reason for disagreement: I believe that this issue should not be marked as NotInScope.

While it’s true that the AB3 Developer Guide does not explicitly specify diagram width/aspect ratios, it does emphasize clarity and readability throughout—especially in the “Design” and “Implementation” sections where diagrams are used to communicate key component relationships.

In particular, the UI, Logic, Model, and Storage component sections all provide simplified or partial class diagrams to improve understanding. This shows that selective abstraction and readability were intentionally prioritized. As seen with examples below:

UI diagram from AB3 DG:

Logic diagram from AB3 DG:

The issue raised is not about an arbitrary preference but about how the current aspect ratio affects comprehension, especially in a PDF where wide diagrams can become unreadable without zooming in extremely close. This hinders one of the key goals of the DG: to communicate design clearly and accessibly.

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