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Unified Modeling language (UML) is a standardized modeling language enabling developers to specify, visualize, construct and document artifacts of a software system. Thus, UML makes these artifacts scalable, secure and robust in execution. UML is an important aspect involved in object-oriented software development. It uses graphic notation to create visual models of software systems.
The UML architecture is based on the meta object facility, which defines the foundation for creating modeling language. They are precise enough to generate the entire application. A fully executable UML can be deployed to multiple platforms using different technologies and can be used with all processes throughout the software development cycle.
UML is designed to enable users to develop an expressive, ready to use visual modeling language. In addition, it supports high level development concepts such as frameworks, patterns and collaborations. UML includes a collection of elements such as:
UML diagrams can be divided into two categories. The first type includes six diagram types representing structural information. The second includes the remaining seven representing general types of behavior. Structure diagrams are used in documenting the architecture of software systems and are involved in the system being modeled. Different structure diagrams are:
Behavior diagrams represent functionality of software system and emphasize on what must happen in the system being modeled. The different behavior diagrams are:
UML diagrams represent static and dynamic views of a system model. The static view includes class diagrams and composite structure diagrams, which emphasize static structure of systems using objects, attributes, operations and relations. The dynamic view represents collaboration among objects and changes to internal states of objects through sequence, activity and state machine diagrams. A wide variety of UML modeling tools are available to simplify the modeling process, including IBM Rational Rose, Rational Rhapsody, MagicDraw UML, StarUML, ArgoUML, Umbrello, BOUML, PowerDesigner and Dia.
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