UModel - UML 2.1 software modeling and application development tool
Altova UModel® 2006 is the starting point for
successful software development. Visually design application
models and generate Java or C# code, or reverse engineer
existing programs into UML® 2.1 diagrams then amend and fine
tune your designs and complete the round trip by regenerating
code. UModel® 2006 takes the mystery out of
modeling, making visual software design practical for
programmers and project managers. It is the simple,
cost-effective way to draw on UML.
The Unified Modeling Language™ (UML) has become
recognized as the 21st-century standard for exposing and analyzing
development project requirements and for designing more efficient
software solutions. Despite its clear benefits, UML has not been
universally adopted because many programming teams were wary of
switching to an unfamiliar new technology that may have been perceived
as elitist due to the relative high cost and complexity of earlier UML
tools. Until recently UML has been positioned as a solution reserved for
software architects, but project managers and developers coming from
code-writing backgrounds now have a UML tool that is easy to learn and
use and is cost effective enough to implement throughout their
organizations.
Altova UModel® 2006 is an affordable UML modeling
application with a rich visual interface and superior usability features
to help level the UML learning curve, yet it also includes many high-end
functions to empower users with the most practical aspects of the UML
specification. UModel® 2006 features
context sensitive entry helpers,
syntax coloring,
cascading styles, customizable design elements, multiple layout
views, and
unlimited undo/redo, coupled with sophisticated modeling
functionality such as
code generation from models,
reverse engineering of existing source code, and
round-tripping modified code to update existing models. These
capabilities allow developers, including those new to software modeling,
to quickly leverage UML to enhance productivity and maximize their
results.
Start with the Most Straightforward Diagrams
The UML 2.1, the latest version of the UML
specification maintained by the Object Management Group™ (OMG™), spans
hundreds of pages, defining 13 major diagram types and over 1,000
graphical and textual language elements, plus extension mechanisms.
UModel® 2006 supports UML 2.1 and simplifies the
problem of learning the complex syntax of software modeling by
concentrating on the diagrams that are most useful early on in the
development process and that yield immediate benefits to programmers,
managers, and other project stakeholders:
Use case diagrams
Class diagrams
Object diagrams
Sequence diagrams
Packages
Component diagrams
Deployment diagrams
For instance, the
use
case diagrams illustrate how an
actor – the UML designation of any person or thing – interacts with
the system. Use case diagrams can be created in brainstorming sessions
that include programmers, managers, and end-users of the proposed system
to define and communicate system requirements. Drawing use case diagrams
in UModel® 2006 during your analysis phase helps you
record pictorial documentation of requirements that is understandable by
programmers and non-programmers alike.
Shared packages created in UModel® 2006 can also
increase your project team’s efficiency. Shared packages are subprojects
you can employ to simplify reuse of successful design strategies or to
integrate large models created in parts by different members of your
programming team.
Generate Code from Models
As you proceed beyond use case analysis, you will
start to design functional aspects of the system with class diagrams,
object diagrams, component diagrams, and deployment diagrams.
UModel® 2006 can
generate your choice of Java or C# code from these diagram types,
immediately accelerating your project.
Some developers use generated code from a quick sketch UML diagram to
transition from the analysis and design phase to finished implementation
in handwritten code. Others further refine, expand, and add detail to
their UML models, then employ a greater amount of generated code in
their projects.
Whatever method you choose, you’ll appreciate that the Java or C# source
code generated by UModel® 2006 is compatible with
Eclipse, Borland® JBuilder®, Microsoft® Visual C# .NET®, or Borland®
C#Builder® and other popular development environments. UModel®
2006 even includes a model syntax checker to detect drawing
errors or inconsistencies before they are replicated downstream in code.
The application source code created by UModel® 2006 is
defined in
customizable templates you can modify to optimize for your compiler
or target platform.
Create Models from Code
Altova UModel® 2006 includes a
powerful
reverse engineering capability for use in analyzing and extending
your existing software applications. You can import Java or C# code and
automatically generate UML models to render a graphical view of your
program, its data structures, and their relationships. You can also use
this technique to import existing class libraries and create diagrams
then apply the libraries in new, modeled projects. Or, you can
reverse-engineer an entire application to quickly understand it before
extending its functionality.
If you currently use Altova XMLSpy® 2006 or Altova
SchemaAgent™ 2006 to build XML-centric applications or
if you use Altova MapForce® 2006 to address data
translation demands, Altova UModel® 2006 is a natural
extension of your development tools arsenal. As you’d expect,
UModel® 2006 imports the Java or C# code generated by
XMLSpy® 2006 or MapForce® 2006 and creates UML
diagrams so you can model your XML Schema or data transformations as
part of larger development efforts.
Get to There and Back Again
As your project evolves, you may choose to make
revisions and enhancements either by modifying your UML models or by
editing and extending your generated code. UModel® 2006
allows you to synchronize your changes either way. You can
round-trip reworked Java or C# to update your UML diagrams, or you
can re-generate code from the latest version of your model.
At any time you can export any diagram as a PNG
image file to include in your project documentation. You can even run
UModel® 2006 from the command line to perform
repetitive tasks such as including the most recent version of a shared
subproject.
You can even export UModel 2006 projects as industry-standard XMI 2.1
files and you can import XMI 2.1 files created by other applications,
allowing you to exchange models with other UML tools.
With its optimal combination of features and its flexibility to work
with other tools you already use, Altova UModel® 2006
will leverage your code-writing experience to get you up to speed with
UML and quickly convey the benefits of modeling to your development
projects.
Detailed information about the features of UModel® 2006
is available by clicking the topics listed in the left-hand margin or by
viewing the UModel® 2006 Feature Matrix.
To experience the power, ease-of-use, and productivity-enhancing
features of UModel® 2006,
download a free 30-day trial today!