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So why did we write "yet another" book on the UML? Does the world need it and what, if anything, makes it distinctive? The real answer is that the only way to answer those questions is to read the end result. Here, however, are some of our answers.
In an attempt to end the "object oriented Tower of Babel", the Unified Modelling Language (UML) has been adopted as a standard modelling notation by the Object Management Group (OMG). This book concerns itself with the application of the UML. There are numerous textbooks that discuss the UML notation or its use with regard to particular application domains, but all of these seem to us to focus on software engineering. Whilst the origins of the UML lie in the concerns of software engineering, it is steadily gaining acceptance in sometimes more diverse and sometimes more specific domains. For example, the UML is being considered increasingly as a notation to support business process modelling, in wide ranging ways, but it is also being applied to specific software engineering domains, such as real-time software development.
This book specifically uses UML 1.5, though some discussion is included about the probable impact of UML 2.0. Whichever version is taken, the impact on what we are trying to achieve is minimal.
The real motivation for this book is to provide a text that addresses the practical issues faced by people in adopting the UML. This is reflected in the suggested book title, the aim being to assist the reader applying UML rather than just learning the UML. Our aim is to illustrate how the notation can be applied across a broad range of problems, from business modelling through to software development. We, therefore, consider the impact of issues beyond the notation itself, specifically the adoption of a particular process or methodology. In general we find no convincing case for a specific choice in this area, preferring to base choices on the needs of the situation being modelled. |
