The Unified Modeling Language Reference Manual

Like all dynamic languages, the Unified Modeling Language (UML) is growing more complex over time. While it is true that for most developers, this means that you will regularly use a smaller percentage of the language, the actual percentage will vary from person to person and from day to day. Therefore, no abridged UML manual could possibly be adequate. Written by the three creators of the UML, this manual is clearly definitive and one that all developers should have at extended arms reach. Designed to cover the changes in the recently released UML 2.0, which were significant, a CD with the full text in Adobe PDF form with hotlinks to the definitions of the key terms is also included. The opening chapter is an overview of the UML and most people can skip it. Chapter two is an overview of models, and this one is worth reading. Short, it introduces some of the fundamental terminology and approaches. A walkthrough of UML is done in chapter three, which introduces the various formal views of a project. They are: static, design, use case, state machine, activity, interaction, deployment, and model management. Each of these views is then explained in a short chapter. These chapters should be required reading for users of the book, as they establish much of the notational and definitional background used in the reference section. The real value of the book is in the five hundred plus pages of detailed definitions of the key terms and phrases in the UML. Listed in alphabetical order, each entry has the following form: *) Entry name: the term or phrase. *) A brief definition, generally one or two sentences. *) The semantics of the term, generally using several paragraphs. This section Includes the structure, subordinate items and often an example. *) The notation of usage. Options and guidelines for use are often included. *) Discussion (occasional), where the author's opinions and/or a background explanation of the term are given. *) History (where appropriate), the changes in how the term is interpreted from earlier versions of the UML. Quite frankly, I cannot see how it would be possible for any developer to use anything more than a very tiny subset of the UML if they do not have access to this book. All speakers of a language can use that language in informal communication, but when we want to communicate ideas formally and precisely, a dictionary is essential. That is the role that this book will fill, as no human communication is more precise than when we do it with notations that describe software. Published in the online Journal of Object Technology, reprinted with permission.

This isn't something that I would sit down and read just for fun, but it is well written and organized, which makes it easy to use. The bulk of the book is in the dictionary of terms which is organized alphabetically. Each one is described using both a text definition and a notational graphic, and often an example. There is a section on the different types of views at the front of the book.

This book is a comprehensive, well-written reference that stays by my side whenever I'm modeling. The accompanying CD-Rom has the book's text stored as a PDF file and is arguably even more useful because it is hyperlinked. A few others reviewers disagree, but their complaints suggest a misunderstanding of the book's intent. This book is a "Reference Manual." It is not a tutorial and does not cover tangental topics (like good/bad OOAD practices). Think of it as a UML encyclopedia.If you want a concise description of every UML diagram and notation then this is the book you want.

Let's be clear - this book is a reference manual, not a tutorial. Don't use this book to learn what the UML is all about. But when you want to answer a question about how to show something or what something means, then this book is invaluable. It's my first reference choice because, unlike the specification, it is written with explanation in mind. I turn to it more than any other UML book and so far I've found that when this can't answer my question, it's because the UML designers haven't thought about it yet.So to sum up: if you use the UML seriously, make sure you have a copy handy.

I was expecting a dry through explanation of notation. This book is not that at all. This was by design though.The book attempts to cover all of the important topics. To get there, it takes an unusual approach. There are a few introduction chapters as might be expected. Part 2 of the book has one chapter per view. In each chapter, the view is covered both notation-wise and discussion-wise.Part 3 was the biggest surprise for me. It is an "encyclopedia of terms." This section is worthwhile even if you are an OO person who doesn't care about diagramming with UML. It gives a definition for each term and frequently the Semantics, Notation and Discussion associated with it. However, this book is a rough read. I opened the book randomly and found the following as an example: "Branch: An element in a state machine in which a single trigger leads to more than one possible outcome, each with its own guard condition." After reading it a second time carefully along with looking up what a "guard condition" was, I understood. The point though is that the definitions are rigorous, but hard to digest on a quick read.The book is worth buying for your reference library for the encyclopedia section alone. I will personally be using it when I have a situation to model and know the term but not the UML syntax. The encyclopedia will lead me to the syntax.