Newsletter sign-up

View all newsletters

Enterprise Java Newsletter
Stay up to date on the latest tutorials and Java community news posted on JavaWorld

Open source ArgoUML offers unique decision support

The InfoWorld Test Center reviews the Java-based ArgoUML UML modeling solution

By Tim Fielden, InfoWorld, 04/28/00

For companies that are just getting started with UML (the Unified Modeling Language, a method of visually depicting business processes), the range of diagram types, semantics, and notation can be forbiddingly complex. Worse, most UML software packages assume a baseline level of familiarity with the technology. So, unless you know your way around UML, the methods may actually complicate, rather than simplify, development projects.

TEXTBOX:

TEXTBOX_HEAD: The Bottom Line

ArgoUML 0.7.0

Business Case
ArgoUML offers a truly unique decision-support feature that simplifies the UML modeling process. However, certain key features are lacking.

Technology Case
Being a completely open source Java app, developers can extend the current version. ArgoUML can adapt to a wide range of settings but doesn't support different notation types.

Pros

• Effective and unique cognitive support
• No cost
• Easy-to-use interfaces

Cons

• No import capability
• Lacks some diagram types
• Does not support reverse engineering

Cost
Free

Platforms
Any JDK 1.1 or later capable platform

Collab.Net; San Francisco; (415) 247-1690

:END_TEXTBOX

Collab.Net's ArgoUML, an open source UML modeling solution, seeks to ease those pains by providing cognitive support throughout the modeling process. Taken as a whole, ArgoUML doesn't offer as many tools as mature kits do, such as Popkin Software's System Architect or Computer Associates' Paradigm Plus. But companies looking for help with their UML projects may find ArgoUML to be a viable alternative.

The cognitive support features execute continuously in the background, analyzing your UML design as you work and suggesting possible improvements. I found this to be an extremely helpful and reliable feature. Throughout the modeling process, ArgoUML displays little yellow notes and wavy red underlines to indicate incomplete and incorrect parts of your design. With a simple right click click on any diagrammatic element, you're shown a To Do list of problems that must be fixed, such as capitalizing the class name or adding constructors, operations, and associations. When you select one of the items in the list, ArgoUML advises you on how the issue might be resolved. Even better, the software provides a wizard that prompts you for the appropriate feature.

You can even sort items in your To Do list by priority, decision, goal, or, amusingly enough, offender. If you prefer, you can ignore messages via a snooze critic, which prevents the decision support from executing. Or you can email queries to other experts on your team for further clarification. Moreover, ArgoUML generates design-review checklists to help you play by UML rules: no more having to remember to include subclasses or clarify ambiguous class names. These are all features that I'd love to see in commercial UML tools.

Apart from its cognitive support features, ArgoUML provides many of the same features found in other UML packages. The software is a joy to work with: Performing actions such as adding new class diagrams to an existing model proved to be effortless. I was pleased to find that, when the diagram was placed on the work area, ArgoUML prompted me to name it, provide instance variables, and even add operations. I could even create other classes by simply clicking one of the arrows that surrounded the new object.

For more enterprise computing news, visit InfoWorld. Story copyright InfoWorld Media Group, Inc.

 

XpoLog Center Correlate application logs with server metrics - XpoLog

About Us | Advertise | Contact Us | Terms of Service/Privacy

Copyright, 2006-2008 Network World, Inc. All rights reserved.