UML tools for python

[Andy Bulka]

Alexandre Fayolle <alf at calvin.fayauffre.org> wrote in message 
> Well, not necessarily. Of course I can only speek for myself (and a bit
> for my company), but my prefered UML modelling tool is a whiteboard,
> used in conjunction with Agile Modelling practices
> (http://www.agilemodeling.com). And even then I tend to model lightly,
> because the projects on which I work are generally fast moving targets,
> which means that heavy up front modelling often results in waisted effort. 

Thanks for sharing how you work with regards to UML.  

I too use many Agile and XP practices - UML tends to get used in
initial designs and in especially when communicating between
programmers.  Some long term documentation of important sub-systems
exists in UML too.

> We found that on demand modelling sessions on the whiteboard to answer
> specific questions provided the best results. The code we produce ends
> up being refactored very often as requirements change anyway, and
> maintaining up to date models costs us too much time.

If we had two-way tools for Python, then maintaining your models would
not take up any time!  ;-)

For example, when I used to use Delphi (object pascal) a lot, I had a
two way tool called ModelMaker http://www.modelmakertools.com. I used
to do some modelling in UML, then switch to coding and compiling, then
back to UML, then back to coding and refactoring.  Delphi + ModelMaker
cooperated seamlessly so that the UML was always up to date, as was
the code.  It was a dream come true.  I always had UML diagrams of
everything, and they never went out of date.

TogetherJ  http://www.togethersoft.com/products/index.jsp also works
like this.

P.S. Ideally such a tool would be free, but I would happily pay for
such a tool too.  E.g. If Borland built something like PyBuilder - a
rock and roll solid IDE with GUI layout tools, refactoring support and
UML - I would certainly lay down my cash.

Andy Bulka
http://www.atug.com/andypatterns