Introduction

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Throughout this book I have narrowly focused your expose to the Unified Modeling Language (UML) and concentrated on the class diagram construct, showing you how to use class diagrams to model the static relationship between classes in an application design. Even a limited amount of modeling goes a long way towards expressing and clarifying software design ideas. But there is more to the UML than just class diagrams.

The UML is a rich modeling language that can be employed to assist you in your complete round-trip software system engineering effort. However, the key to tapping the full modeling potential of the UML lies in finding the right UML modeling tool. This chapter shows you what a good UML modeling tool can do for you.

There are many types of UML modeling tools on the market today. Some are just fancy drawing tools that do little more than help you draw the different UML diagrams, while others, like Embarcadero Technologies' Describe™, provide an integrated modeling and development environment (IMDE). There are advantages and disadvantages to both types of tools with the central issue being cost vs. features. The simple drawing tools are least expensive and often available as freeware or shareware. The comprehensive tools like Describe™, Rational Rose™, or Sybase's PowerDesigner™ do more for you but you pay extra for the privilege of using a comprehensive design tool.

Included with the paperback and CD ROM version of this book are two UML modeling tools. The first is a demo version of Embarcadero Technologies' Describe™ UML modeling tool. Describe™ is used in this chapter to demonstrate how a good UML modeling tool can significantly augment your software system analysis, design, and implementation efforts. If you downloaded the ebook/PDF edition of this book you can download Describe™ from the Embarcadero Technologies website: [http://embarcadero.com]. Describe™ runs on the Microsoft Windows™ operating system.

The second UML tool is called ObjectPlant™ and runs on Macintosh™ computers. ObjectPlant™ is shareware and can be downloaded from [http://www.arctaedius.com/ObjectPlant/]. I have used ObjectPlant™ extensively throughout this book to generate encapsulated postscript versions of the class and sequence diagrams.

There are many other UML modeling tools available for both Macintosh™ and Windows™ machines. If you search the web long enough you will eventually discover them all. However, I have found that there are many more UML tools available for the Windows™ platform than for Macintosh™.

Before moving on it is worth noting that the UML, while potentially powerful in its expressive capability, is just another tool you can add to your software development tool bag. It can help you - but it will not design your application for you or write every line of your code. (Although tools like Describe™ and ObjectPlant™ will write some of the code!)

Also, this chapter is not a complete treatment of Describe™ nor is it intended as a comprehensive treatment of UML modeling. There are many great books on the UML topic alone with some of the best having been published by Addison-Wesley in their Object-Technology Series. A few of the books in that series are listed as references at the end of the chapter. A lot of great information about the UML can also be found on the Object Management Group (OBG) website: [http://www.omg.org/].

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