[Uml-devel] Fw: UML Modeller

[Luis De la Parra]

> > I am working on another project called OSSET wich is a set of open source
> > software development tools.  It will include among other things a UML
> > modeller, code generators, and IDE integration.  I want to separate the
> > different systems allowing them to be run alone or in tandem.
> >
......
> > if your project fits I will just integrate it as a subsystem in mine.
....
> > Here are my concerns.
> >> 1.  It will only run on linux.  This is very important but I would also

There was a discussion on the devel list about this a while ago, and altough I 
would certanly like to see UML Modeller running on Windows and Mac as well, I 
really like the integration it has with KDE, and the same was said by most of 
the developers, (that we would like UML Modeller to stay a KDE application)

The KDE-specific parts are actually not too many, so I think it would be 
possible to have a KDE version and a QT-only version which would run on Linux 
/ Windows / Mac, but since we are kind of short of developers and free time, 
it was decided to keep working only in the KDE version

> > compile UML Modeller on my Caldera linux box.  Because I have no printer
> > I have no kprinter.h file and the libs aren't compiled with printing
> > support.

hmmm.... I've never heard that before... I dont have a printer either, but my 
KDE does have "printing support". anyways, in that case I recommend you to 
get yourself a KDE with printing support so that you can then print your nice 
uml diagrams to pdf files you can share with other people.


> >
> > 2.  I see that you will support code importing and generating.  I would

It's already there. since you can't compile uml I dont know if you've got an 
old binary version, but the current cvs code features code importing (only 
c++) and code generation (currently c++ and java, but the framework allows to 
add new languages very easily)
Try fixing your KDE and then get cvs and build it (get the source directly 
from cvs, not from the "cvs tarballs" linked from the homepege) and try it 
out.


> > modeller supports XMI you can save the diagrams in XMI format and then

UML modeller uses now XML as file format. I'm not sure if its 100% XMI but 
it's probably at least close to it. would be great if you could have a look 
at it and help make it 100% XMI compilant to the point were it is possible to 
exchange files with other uml programs.

> > the XMI file into a generator that interprets it then generates code. 

The actual code generator writes code directly from the (internal) objects in 
the document which is probably not as flexible but as I said, it is still 
very easy to add new languages.
I implemented code generation like this because when I first found uml and 
started working on code generation the file format was binary.

If you want to read xmi and output code, you should look at a project called 
dia2code...
altough I have never used it, it is a program that reads xmi and outputs code 
in a bunch of languages.... the only thing you should check is that the xmi 
used by UML Modeller and the xmi that dia2code expect are actually the same, 
but if you want to use this approach to generating code, I think using 
dia2code is the way to go.
I think the address is http://dia2code.sourceforge.net

> > Those are my questions and concerns.  I have done a lot of research on
> > XMI and a few other OMG specs that I think are valid in a UML modeller,
> > e.g. MOF, SPEM, UML Profiles.  I would be willing to work on XMI support

great!!, as I said, ther's already some support for it, but I dont think  it 
is 100% xmi compilant  (I have really no idea about the file format, but I do 
know it is quite different from the file format used by other programs, for 
example, the concepts and the geometry of a diagram are saved together, while 
in argoUML (I think) they use a file for the concepts and a file for the 
diagram layout (position of the objects in the screen, etc) and then save it 
all togheter in a tgz archive)

> >
> > Now I will explain what I am looking for in a UML Modeller.  If you are
> > willing to work with me maybee I could start development of a version 2,
> > because my features would radically change your modeller
> >
> > My modeller would be a strictly compliant UML modeller.  It will do

I think that is what UML Modeller already aims to...

> > more than read/write/modify UML models in XMI format.  It will follow the
> > Model/View/Controller pattern to allow flexibility in many areas, e.g.

uml follows the Document/View paradigm, which I thin is the same(??)


> > The tool will be customizable by reading a UML Profile and using the
>>profile
>
> > to get the available model elements, semantics and contraints.  This will
> > allow it to model and system that a UML Profile can be constructed from.
> > For instance this will allow a developer to plug in a UML Profile for his
> > language, e.g. Java.  As you know Java doesn't support multiple

that sounds really interesting!!... I think it would be really great if we 
could pull that off!, I'm not sure how much would have to be changed in the 
actual code, probably  a lot, but it might be worth trying it out..

> > CORBA support is something I am debating.  On the plus side it would
> > allow the developer to modify a model that is located in a repository on
> > 
maybe you could explain some more about this... just to make sure I got what 
you mean.

> >
> > Well that is my vision.  I would be willing to put forth the work if that 
>>is your vision also.  The foundation for my set of tools is the UML 
>>Modeller
> > and the above requirements are absolutely necessary.  The set of tools
> will
> > be designed to compete with Rationals set of tools.
> >
> > I will work up a set of rough UML diagrams for my project if you are
> > interested in more info.  Right now I am at work on a machine that is too
> > slow to do modelling so it will be a while before I can whip up the

The plans are now to fix some pending bugs and make a release soon and then 
start working on the next version of uml. We should discuss the point in more 
detail, maybe after you have seen what the current status of uml modeller is, 
so that we talk about where the program is going, where the developers want 
it to go, and where you would like to take it.  You can then join the project 
and help make a great new version, or take part of it and go ahead with 
OSSET, I think either way we can have a benefit for all.

regards,

Luis.