UMLet
Encyclopedia
UMLet is an open-source Java
-based UML tool
designed for teaching the Unified Modeling Language
and for quickly creating UML diagrams. It is a drawing tool rather than a modelling tool as there is no underlying dictionary or directory of reusable design objects.
UMLet has simple user interface that uses text formatting codes to modify the basic shapes with decorations and annotations, so there is no forest of icons nor parameter list dialogs in your way. This does require the user to learn yet another text markup language, but the effort is small and the markup obvious to the experienced UMP designer.
The app can export diagrams to pictures (eps, jpg), drawing formats (svg), document formats (PDF).
The clipboard can be used to copy-paste diagrams as pictures into other applications.
It is possible to create custom UML elements.
The basic drawing objects can be modified and used as templates which allows users to customize the app to their needs.
This requires programming of the elements in Java.
The most important UML diagram types are supported: class, use case, sequence, state, deployment, activity.
Support for UML 2.0 features is not yet available, though the customization feature could be used to do this.
The app's native file format is UXF
, an extension of XML intended for exchanging UML models.
UMLet runs stand-alone or as Eclipse plug-in on Windows, OS X and Linux.
It supports concepts like Martin Fowler
's UmlAsSketch. Its design goals are described in the paper "Flyweight UML Modelling Tool for Software Development".. Another paper compares UMLet to Rational Rose.
Java (programming language)
Java is a programming language originally developed by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems and released in 1995 as a core component of Sun Microsystems' Java platform. The language derives much of its syntax from C and C++ but has a simpler object model and fewer low-level facilities...
-based UML tool
UML tool
A UML tool or UML modeling tool is a software application that supports some or all of the notation and semantics associated with the Unified Modeling Language , which is the industry standard general purpose modeling language for software engineering.UML tool is used broadly here to include...
designed for teaching the Unified Modeling Language
Unified Modeling Language
Unified Modeling Language is a standardized general-purpose modeling language in the field of object-oriented software engineering. The standard is managed, and was created, by the Object Management Group...
and for quickly creating UML diagrams. It is a drawing tool rather than a modelling tool as there is no underlying dictionary or directory of reusable design objects.
UMLet has simple user interface that uses text formatting codes to modify the basic shapes with decorations and annotations, so there is no forest of icons nor parameter list dialogs in your way. This does require the user to learn yet another text markup language, but the effort is small and the markup obvious to the experienced UMP designer.
The app can export diagrams to pictures (eps, jpg), drawing formats (svg), document formats (PDF).
The clipboard can be used to copy-paste diagrams as pictures into other applications.
It is possible to create custom UML elements.
The basic drawing objects can be modified and used as templates which allows users to customize the app to their needs.
This requires programming of the elements in Java.
The most important UML diagram types are supported: class, use case, sequence, state, deployment, activity.
Support for UML 2.0 features is not yet available, though the customization feature could be used to do this.
The app's native file format is UXF
UXF
In computing, UXF is an acronym for UML eXchange Format, see Unified Modeling Language.UXF is a XML-based model interchange format for UML, which is a standard software modeling language. UXF is a simple and well-structured format to encode, publish, access and exchange UML models, and allows UML...
, an extension of XML intended for exchanging UML models.
UMLet runs stand-alone or as Eclipse plug-in on Windows, OS X and Linux.
It supports concepts like Martin Fowler
Martin Fowler
-Online presentations:* at RailsConf 2006* at JAOO 2006* at QCon London 2007 * at QCon London 2008 * at ThoughtWorks Quarterly Technology Briefing, October 2008...
's UmlAsSketch. Its design goals are described in the paper "Flyweight UML Modelling Tool for Software Development".. Another paper compares UMLet to Rational Rose.
Release Information
- version 10.4: palette drag and drop, enhanced clipboard and improved keyboard support
- version 10.3; updates to the user interface
Limitations
- no direct support for templates (parameterised classes) nor design patterns, though both can be shown with workarounds
- no code generation - this is a design choice to keep the drawing tool fast and light.
See also
- List of UML tools
- UXFUXFIn computing, UXF is an acronym for UML eXchange Format, see Unified Modeling Language.UXF is a XML-based model interchange format for UML, which is a standard software modeling language. UXF is a simple and well-structured format to encode, publish, access and exchange UML models, and allows UML...
UML eXchange Format for exchanging UML designs as files.