[Uml-user] Umbrello and XMI

[Sebastian Stein]

Anna Persson  <codice at spray.se> [040409 22:38]:
> I have some questions about Umbrello and XMI. If someone would give me
> some answers or comments I would be REALLY grateful!

I answer just one question, because I think it answers all questions ;-)

> 6)My study has shown that exchange of XMI information between modelling
> tools are really troublesome and I know that others have experienced the
> same problems. Are these problems related to insufficiences in the XMI
> standard or to insufficiences in the tools? Or both?

The 1.X series of XMI is insufficience in the sense of sharing modell
information between different tools. The problem is, that there is a
standard how to exchange the modell information, but not how to exchange the
diagram information. So every vendor invented some fancy stuff to save the
diagram information as well in the XMI file. Such XMI files are not standard
conform. That is why it fails.

As we all know, this problem will be hopefully fixed with the upcoming
UML/XMI 2.0 standard. Unfortunally this standard isn't out yet. I think the
release was scheduled for one year ago. Nothing has happened for the public
so far. So we have to wait. So the problem with xmi tool interchange might
be fixed in some years (3 years maybe), if all major tools use the new
standard without adding there own (proprietary) features. Well, to be
honest, it would never happen. A tool maker is not interested that the user
can easily switch to another tool. So there will be 2 or 3 major tools who
rule the market. All other tools will add import filters to load projects of
those tools, so that users can move. This has nothing to do with integration
like you are looking for.

Maybe an open source tool like Umbrello could be 100% standard conform. This
could be a good marketing feature and help to attract users.

Nevertheless, in 3 years I will blame on myself about this email, because I
made statements about the future... :-)

Sebastian
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ONE FAMILY! Leipzig 2012 - Olympic Summer Games
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