UML

[ScherBi at BAM.com]

>Thanks for your reply Bill.
You're quite welcome.

>I'll try it the other way around. Is the UML something like a OO
>Database or something like XML? Or anything in between?

For starters, the 'L' stands for language in both.  Let me quote from
_UML_In_A_Nutshell_ here:

"The UML is a modeling language for specifying, visualizing, constructing,
and documenting the artifacts of a system-intensive process"

Note the 'system-intensive process'; it's not directed solely at software
design, but that seems to be where it has had it's greatest impact.  Other
applications may be business process modeling, factory process modeling,
etc.

>1.) Object Primer(Scott W. Ambler SIGS Books/
>     Cambridge University Press, 1995)
>2.) UML in a Nutshell (OReilly)

>Which - or would you recommend both?

I've not seen _Object_Primer_, but I'm quite happy with the Nutshell book.
I've seen others I didn't like as much.


>I started documenting my work on AI in a simple word processor, then
>thinking of creating a database (to get hold of the code and my
>thoughts) and recently I heard something about CASE tools and UML.
>I'm really in great need of a tool which helps me to keep overview and
>organize my work.

A UML tool, I think, could only be a part of the solution here.  It's not
going to provide a database to hold code.  There are mechnisms for handling
documentation, however these bits of documentation are typically attached to
specific 'objects' within the tool.


>>I use UML, via ObjectDomain (www.objectdomain.com).
>>I am involved in developing ....
>>.. In other words, create classes and class diagrams in
>>UML, design the class interfaces, and play around with the design at this
>>level.  When you think you have it right, generate the stub code and fill
in
>>the methods.  You can fill in the methods without getting caught up in the
>>interface issues, which makes things much easier.

>Feels like UML is a sort of IDE??
No, but a CASE tool which uses UML as it's modeling language is a bit like
an IDE.  Again uml is just a language, like Python, C, or Latin.  

>>..where you understand the hierarchy and the operations, then
>>reverse engineer it into objectdomain.  You can then automatically
generate
>>a class diagram.  

>Something like a class browser used in C/C++ IDE's like Watcom?
Yes, I suppose.  But it shows you the class hierarchies in UML.

>>And no, I don't work for ObjectDomain.  It's the only UML tool I know of
the
>>generates and reverse engineers Python.  OD is written in Java.  I don't

>Whats so wrong about Java? When you use different OS's - Java should a
>logical way to go.

It's a bias born of experience ;-). The idea, the promise, the goal of Java
is noble and worthy. The reality of Java falls short.  I would prefer a
native code version.  It would stand alone( no jvm version dependencies),
and it would execute faster.  I suspect it would be more stable, also.  That
said, I'm quite happy with OD, but if they came out with a native code
version for a suitable platform, I would drop the Java version immediatly.

UML is a big thing.  I'm still a UML neophyte, but I'm getting use out of
it.  It took time, reading and experimenting, to get to this point, but it
has been worth it.  Not only have I begun to learn UML, but my OO
programming skills and understanding have improved too.  My company has
found enough value in it to send me out for training.  If you think UML
might work for you, I can't stress enough the value in downloading a tool,
like OD, and giving it a spin.


>Thanks for your patience
Your welcome, 

Bill Scherer