Learning UML 2.0: A Pragmatic Introduction to UML

I was looking for a way to present to a reviewing committee an educational video game which I am designing. "Learning UML 2.0" was at the right level of detail to show me what diagram types I might use. The book is right for a person who taken a course in Java or C++ where you do many small problems, and now you need a plan for outlining a larger project. I think the book would be very difficult for anyone who had not programmed in Java or C++. Many years ago I had vacillated among the notations of Rumbaugh, Booch and Jacobson. It is satisfying to see their ideas combined in a common notation. Reading this book before and during an object-oriented design project will alert you to problems before they become errors.

I've read a couple of other books that talk about UML, but they seem to just skim the surface and try to talk simple to you. This book is truly for someone who wants to learn about UML and how to use it properly. I recommend reading through the whole book once quickly and then go back and read it again carefully. I believe that's the best way to learn the details presented in this book.

I found the presentation pragmatic, readable, and practical. It is easy to pick a UML Diagram type you want to use and start reading, drawing. UML is a straight forward notation and these authors presents it as such. (Perhaps because it is straight forward many other authors seem to make their UML exposition much more complex than it needs to be).

Excellent book. Entertaining, not distracting with formal details or innecessary stuff that only appears in the UML specification. This book will give you excellent practical insight on the stuff that matters in the day to day development using UML.

Based on a recent project at work, I realized I needed a better understanding of UML. To that end, I decided to review the book Learning UML 2.0 by Russ Miles and Kim Hamilton. While there's still a lot to learn there, I think I have a much better grasp on what's going on... Contents: Introduction; Modeling Requirements - Use Cases; Modeling System Workflows - Activity Diagrams; Modeling a System's Logical Structure - Introducing Classes and Class Diagrams; Modeling a System's Logical Structure - Advanced Class Diagrams; Bringing Your Classes to Life - Object Diagrams; Modeling Ordered Interactions - Sequence Diagrams; Focusing on Interaction Links - Communication Diagrams; Focusing on Interaction Timing - Timing Diagrams; Completing the Interaction Picture - Interaction Overview Diagrams; Modeling a Class's Internal Structure - Composite Structures; Managing and Reusing Your System's Parts - Component Diagrams; Organizing Your Model - Packages; Modeling an Object's State - State Machine Diagrams; Modeling Your Deployed System - Deployment Diagrams; Object Constraint Language; Adapting UML - Profiles; A History of UML; Index Miles and Hamilton use a conversational approach to introduce the reader to UML 2.0, and they build on a model that makes sense. The Use Case view drives nearly everything, as that's the "what" of what the system is supposed to be able to do. Then they cover the logical, process, physical, and development views that support the system and show different perspectives of what the system will look like depending on which angle you view it from. All too often, it seems like UML diagrams are just thrown at the reader one after another, and there's no real explanation as to how it all fits together. Fortunately, that's not the case here, as the model framework for their tutorial puts everything in the right relationship to each other. I also appreciated how the diagram tutorials started out with just the basics and built from there. Again, it's common to see a tutorial diagram with every possible permutation thrown in right at the start. As such, it's far too easy to zone out right away because of all the baggage. Here, you get the core elements of the diagram first (which often cover 80 - 90% of what you need to know anyway), and then the extra details are introduced after that. I was much better able to conceptualize the whole discussion when put in that light... Very nice job... I would say that if you have this book coupled with a full UML 2.0 reference manual of some sort, you'd be pretty well set to do most anything you'd need to in the world of UML. I know I'm better equipped to do those sequence diagrams now, where before I was faking it pretty well... :)