[Uml-devel] Re: karbon14 and uml

[Sebastian Stein]

Andrew Sutton <ansutton at kent.edu> [030414 21:34]:
> > Perhaps it would be best to implement a generic list view part for XMI
> > files using the KIO framework, ie. I am able to browse UML / XMI
> > documents using both Umbrello and Konqueror?
> 
> i was thinking about creating a virtual file system using UML::Package
> objects as directories and diagrams as files. konquerer wouldn't really
> have to see anything else. we could actually use the standard fs type
> stuff for that. the diagrams would be more equivilant to web pages. if you
> click on a class name, you can drill down to other related diagrams (like
> a sequence diagram from a use case or a state diagram from a class). who
> knows, maybe it would take you to a dynamically generated class
> specification page that shows all the documentation for the class.
 
I'm not really sure if a file system like approach would be best. Ok, I have
to say it is very uncommon and I would expect it as user. So you might have
a very high learning curve to get used to it.

I think it is very clear that a standard tree view approach is very boring
and not the best method to browse complex data. But I think a file system
isn't a very good abstraction as well. Because file systems are representing
the structure the files are stored on the harddisk. This is mostly useless
for the user. A user (I mean not a hacker) wants to store his documents in
folders connected to special subjects or times. So I think a file system
isn't perfect and it is not the way we should go.

And yes, you could render a UML modell as HTML and offer some kind of
navigation. But, as someone else said before, browsers are good for
presenting data, but not for manipulation.

I think we have to ask ourselves how we want to handle a software modell. An
architect could make a modell of his building. Car builders have modells in
3D CAD and maybe as small version with rapid prototyping (printing of 3D
modells).

In software design we also have prototypes like UI prototypes and some
scenario tools (showing possible dialogs in correct order...).

Some years ago I did a lot of 3D modelling for rendering. There you find
very different interfaces as well. The one I liked most was an interface,
where you saw your modell in 4 different views at the same time. The screen
was splitted into 4 sections, 3 showing 2D views of the modell and 1 showing
a OpenGL version of the modell. It was very good. You edit the modell in 2D,
but you can see the difference immidiatly in 3D.

Maybe this would be also a solution. Give the user the possibility to switch
very easy between different views on the same subject. Like rotating the
whole information cube.

Ok, I hope the above lines are some kind of good mind stuff... ;-)

Steinchen
-- 
Umbrello UML Modeller
Description     : UML diagram drawing tool for KDE with code generation
Homepage        : http://www.umbrello.org/