Editing Unified Modeling Language (section)

== Artifacts ==
[[File:UML Artifact.PNG|thumb|320px|Artifact manifesting components]]

In UML, an '''artifact'''<ref name="OMG_Artifacts">{{cite book
|chapter=Artifacts
|title=Unified Modeling Language 2.5.1
|series=[[Object Management Group|OMG]] Document Number formal/2017-12-05
|date=December 2017
|publisher=[[Object Management Group]] Standards Development Organization (OMG SDO)
|page=656
|url=https://www.omg.org/spec/UML/2.5.1/PDF
}}</ref>
is the "specification of a physical piece of information that is used or produced by a [[software development process]], or by deployment and operation of a system."<ref name="OMG_Artifacts" />

"Examples of artifacts include model files, [[source code|source]] files, scripts, and [[binary executable]] files, a [[Table (database)|table]] in a [[database system]], a development deliverable, a [[word-processing]] [[document]], or a [[mail]] message."<ref name="OMG_Artifacts" />

Artifacts are the physical entities that are deployed on
[[Node (UML)|Nodes]]<ref name="OMG_Artifacts" />
(i.e. Devices and Execution Environments).
Other UML elements such as classes and components are first manifested into artifacts and instances of these artifacts are then deployed. Artifacts can also be composed of other artifacts.