Uml Distilled: Applying the Standard Object Modeling Language (Addison-Wesley Object Technology Series) - Softcover

Fowler, Martin; Scott, Kendall

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0201325632 ISBN 13: 9780201325638

Publisher: Addison-Wesley, 1997

Synopsis

Today, a software designer or architect who seeks to represent the design of a software system can choose from a wide variety of notational languages, each aligned with a particular analysis and design methodology. Ironically, this wide variety of choice is one impediment to the significant benefits promised by software reuse. The emergence of the Unified Modeling Language (UML)-created by the joint efforts of leading object technologists Grady Booch, Ivar Jacobson, and James Rumbaugh with contributions from many others in the object community-represents one of the most significant developments in object technology. Supported by a broad base of industry-leading companies, the UML merges the best of the notations used by the three most popular analysis and design methodologies, Booch, OOSE (use-cases), and OMT, to produce a single, universal modeling language that can be used with any method.

Written for those already grounded in object-oriented analysis and design, this concise overview introduces you to UML, highlighting the key elements of its notation, semantics, and processes. Included is a brief explanation of UML's history, development, and rationale, as well as discussions on how UML can be integrated into the object-oriented development process. In addition, the book profiles various modeling techniques associated with UML-use cases, CRC cards, design by contract, dynamic classification, interfaces, and abstract classes-along with concise descriptions of notation and semantics and numerous insightful tips for effective use based on the authors' experience. In addition, the authors offer the first look at the emerging Objectory Software Development Process derived from the methodologies of Grady Booch, Ivar Jacobson, and James Rumbaugh. To give you a feel for the UML in action, the book includes a Java programming example that outlines the implementation of a UML-based design.

You will come away with an excellent understanding of UML essentials, insight into how UML functions within the software development process, and a firm foundation upon which to expand and build your knowledge of the Unified Modeling Language.

About this title

About the Author

Martin Fowler is a pioneer in the application of object technology to business information systems. For the past ten years, he has consulted in the area of object technology with such companies as Citibank, Chrysler Corporation, Xerox, AT&T, and the UK National Health Service. He is the author of the acclaimed book Analysis Patterns: Reusable Object Models. Kendall Scott is a technical writer at Oracle Corporation who has published a number of technical manuals on a wide range of topics.

Written for those already grounded in object-oriented analysis and design, this concise overview introduces you to UML, highlighting the key elements of its notation, semantics, and processes. Included is a brief explanation of UML`s history, development, and rationale, as well as discussions on how UML can be integrated into the object-oriented development process. In addition, the book profiles various modeling techniques associated with UML-use cases, CRC cards, design by contract, dynamic classification, interfaces, and abstract classes-along with concise descriptions of notation and semantics and numerous insightful tips for effective use based on the authors` experience. In addition, the authors offer the first look at the emerging Objectory Software Development Process derived from the methodologies of Grady Booch, Ivar Jacobson, and James Rumbaugh. To give you a feel for the UML in action, the book includes a Java programming example that outlines the implementation of a UML-based design.

You will come away with an excellent understanding of UML essentials, insight into how UML functions within the software development process, and a firm foundation upon which to expand and build your knowledge of the Unified Modeling Language.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

PREFACE I never expected to write a methods book.

I was approached to write one late in 1992. By then, however, all the really influential methods books had been published, and I didn't think I had anything significant to add to the literature. As far as I was concerned, the ground was covered-there were better things to do. I had decided not to create a new methodology that was "fowler" than all the others, and there were already too many methodologies.

When Grady Booch, Jim Rumbaugh, and Ivar Jacobson (the "three amigos") joined forces to form a single Unified Modeling Language (UML), I was delighted. Arguments over which method to choose are some of the most tiresome arguments I've had to deal with, particularly since they have little impact on the final result. I was glad to see that argument go away. When I was approached to write this book, the amigos were beginning to write their books; these books will be the authoritative works on the UML. However, there is a need for a short book to both provide something while the three of them are working on their larger works and act as a concise UML guide. I intended to make this volume the shortest methods book ever written.

Although this is a noble aim for me, is this the right book for you? I'll start by telling you what this book is not.

It is not a tutorial on OO analysis and design with the UML. The user's guide, led by Grady Booch, will be that book.

It is not a definitive reference guide to the notation and its semantics. The reference guide, led by Jim Rumbaugh, will be that book.

It is not a detailed guide to the process of using the UML on object-oriented projects. The process guide, led by Ivar Jacobson, will be that book.

This book is a short guide to the key parts of the notation, the semantics, and the process. I am aiming it at those who already have used object technology, probably with one of the many currently available OO analysis and design methods. This book tells you quickly what the key elements of the notation are and what they mean, and it suggests an outline process for using them. I've also taken the opportunity to add tips and suggestions from my use of object methods over the last decade. Because it is a short book, it will be easier to digest the information and get used to what the UML has to say. It also will provide a good first place to look for reference information.

Chapter 1 looks at what the UML is, the history of its development, and the reasons why you might want to use it. Chapter 2 discusses the object-oriented development process. Al-though the UML exists independent of process, I find it hard to discuss modeling techniques without talking about where they fit in with object-oriented development. Chapters 3 through 10 discuss the various modeling techniques of the UML, in turn. I have organized these chapters around the kinds of diagrams I find useful. I describe the notation, including its semantics, and provide tips about using the techniques. My philosophy is to make clear what the UML says and, at the same time, give you my opinions on how best to use it. Chapter 11 gives a small example to show how the UML fits in with programming using (of course) Java.

The inside covers summarize the UML notation. You may find it useful to refer to these as you are reading the chapters so that you can check on the notation for the various modeling concepts. Scattered within the "official UML" chapters are a number of sidebars on other techniques I have found valuable but which are not emphasized in the UML. They certainly can and should be used with the UML. For each UML and non-UML technique, I've provided summaries about when to use the technique and where to find more information. As I write this, there are no UML books on the market, so I have referenced only pre-UML books. Although the notation is different, many of the concepts are the same, and it will be a while before these books should be relegated to the basement. Of course, this book, like any book written within our industry, will be out of date as soon as it is finished. To combat this, I'm making the inevitable use of the World Wide Web. To get my latest thoughts on methods, take a look at the Web site for this book:

Acknowledgments
Putting out a book this fast required a lot of help from people who went beyond the normal effort that goes into producing a book to do everything that much more quickly. Kendall Scott played an important role in pulling together all the material and working over the text and graphics. The three amigos, Grady Booch, Ivar Jacobson, and Jim Rumbaugh, have been full of support and advice. We have burned up many hours of transcontinental phone calls, and they have improved the book greatly (as well as my understanding of the UML). A good slate of book reviewers is essential to doing a good job on a book. Not only did these reviewers give me the feedback I needed, they also turned around their comments in less than a week to keep to our tight deadlines. My thanks to: Simmi Kochhar Bhargava of Netscape Communications Corporation, Eric Evans, Tom Hadfield of Evolve Software, Inc., Ronald E. Jeffries, Joshua Kerievsky of Industrial Logic, Inc., Helen Klein of the University of Michigan, James Odell, and Vivek Salgar of Netscape Communications Corporation. Double thanks to Tom Hadfield because he did it twice! I want to thank Jim Odell for two things: first, for coordinating the Object Management Group (OMG) effort to get a single standard UML, which will be a big step forward for our industry; and second, for encouraging me to get into the object-oriented analysis and design field. Oh, and thanks for reviewing the book, too! Thanks to Cindy for dealing with me being absent even when I was home. I can't even imagine the difficulties that my editor, J. Carter Shanklin, and his assistant, Angela Buenning, went through to get this book out as quickly as they did. Whatever these difficulties were, I'm sure Carter and Angela deserve my thanks. Last, but not least, thanks to my parents for helping me start off with a good education, from which all else springs. Martin Fowler Melrose, Massachusetts May 1997 martin_fowler@compuserve.com

Edition details

• Publisher: Addison-Wesley
• Publication date: 1997
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0201325632
• ISBN 13: 9780201325638
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 179