UML 2.0 in a Nutshell

System developers have used modeling languages for decades to specify, visualize, construct, and document systems. The Unified Modeling Language (UML) is one of those languages. UML makes it possible for team members to collaborate by providing a common language that applies to a multitude of different systems. Essentially, it enables you to communicate solutions in a consistent, tool-supported language. Today, UML has become the standard method for modeling software systems, which means you're probably confronting this rich and expressive language more than ever before. And even though you may not write UML diagrams yourself, you'll still need to interpret diagrams written by others. UML 2.0 in a Nutshell from O'Reilly feels your pain. It's been crafted for professionals like you who must read, create, and understand system artifacts expressed using UML. Furthermore, it's been fully revised to cover version 2.0 of the language. This comprehensive new edition not only provides a quick-reference to all UML 2.0 diagram types, it also explains key concepts in a way that appeals to readers already familiar with UML or object-oriented programming concepts. Topics include:

• The role and value of UML in projects
• The object-oriented paradigm and its relation to the UML
• An integrated approach to UML diagrams
• Class and Object, Use Case, Sequence, Collaboration, Statechart, Activity, Component, and Deployment Diagrams
• Extension Mechanisms
• The Object Constraint Language (OCL)

If you're new to UML, a tutorial with realistic examples has even been included to help you quickly familiarize yourself with the system.

Dan Pilone is a Software Architect with SFA, Inc., cofounder and president of Zizworks, Inc. and a terrible rock climber. He has designed and implemented systems for Hughes, ARINC, UPS, and the Naval Research Laboratory. When not writing for O'Reilly, he teaches Software Design and Software Engineering at The Catholic University in Washington DC. Originally writing in C and C++, he has moved into the blissful world of managed code with Java and C#. He has had several articles published by Intelligent Enterprise and Java Developer's Journal on software process, consulting in the software industry, and 3D graphics in Java.

Neil Pitman is Chief Technical Officer of Mahjong Mania, co-developer of LamMDA from Mindset Corporation, and formerly Vice President of Research and Development at Codagen Technologies. Neil has twenty years of experience in software development ranging from medical systems to Smalltalk development platforms, gaming software to code generation. When he does real work, it's in J2EE and XSLT as well as UML. Look for him at http://www.architecturerules.com.