UML -- do you actually ever use it?

[DWW]

At college we are forced to sit through 4 semesters of this junk.

I dislike it very much because there is too much time invested in it. Don't get me wrong, design is important, but drawing stickmen diagrams of actors and use cases is just a waste of everyones time IMO.

It takes too much time to have all your UML documents together like actor/activity tables, the use case descriptions, use case diagrams, scenarios and so forth.

I almost think its meant for business types who can't understand specs. In which case they shouldn't be reading it anyhow.

The way I've always done big projects was basically summed up by:
come up with viable idea (no set way to do this..could be on the crapper or during a discussion)
brainstorm on the idea and write everything down
investigate the feasability of the idea
develop your ideas even more
start with the database design and lay out, in documents, the exact design of the system
revise as needed
code
debug, test, boring junk for the monkeys
deploy
perform code maintenance

No other professional programmers I know use UML (they all work in smaller shops though) but I'll bet the big shops try to force it on you.

/rant

 

[BCYL]

Yes, UML is used EVERYWHERE in the real world.... I have always used it in all my software design (both in small companies and also in large firms, i have worked in both)...

1 UML diagram can replace lines and lines of text...

 

[DWW]

Originally posted by: BCYL
Yes, UML is used EVERYWHERE in the real world.... I have always used it in all my software design (both in small companies and also in large firms, i have worked in both)...

1 UML diagram can replace lines and lines of text...

Perhaps one reason I dislike UML so much is that I'm aweful at it. I find some things are really subjective with it and it isn't as clear as a spec can be stated.

What sort of software have and do you develop if you don't mind me asking?

 

[WannaFly]

I've wondered the same thing - I dont "know" UML, but I've been looking into it more recently for when i start another project at work.

 

[EngenZerO]

yes... i have used it for work as well as school. it comes in very handy and makes your documentaion so much prettier and easier to comprehend.

 

[dgm]

As the saying goes: "A picture is worth a thousand words."

Creating pictures that describe the system can definitely help with the design process. Using UML is no panacea, but should be a formalization of the design process in which you already engage.

Those "stickmen drawings" and use cases help document "intent" really well. You can use those actor/action "stories" to build UI processes. Once you can "tell all the stories" in the system, you know you're close to meeting the spec.

It's a lot easier to convey to non-technical "customers" what the intent of the system is if you give them "pretty pictures" to look at. In turn, they can show the pictures to their management... This can help the internal "sales" process for your project, within the organization you're in.

As UML and coding tools mature, semi-automated generation of at least class stubs can help get things moving along in the beginning of your development cycle.

Finally, some IDEs have the ability to crank out a UML diagram of your current system - or at least your class hierarchy - which can make keeping the documentation current much easier.

Once you start to work on "serious" projects you'll realize the importance of good documentation. UML is just one of many tools in the documentation toolbox.

 

[DWW]

Does anyone have book recommendations for learning UML? I have a book "Writing Effective Use Cases" by Alistair Cockburn and it has a different way than what I learn at school. It is pretty good and has helped me somewhat but I don't like certain things in it (like the templates they use).

Thinking about picking up "UML Distilled" by Martin Fowler.

I do think UML has potential. I'm probably just not looking at it from a distance like I should
(bad experience with lots of teachers)

 

[AFB]

Originally posted by: DWW
Does anyone have book recommendations for learning UML? I have a book "Writing Effective Use Cases" by Alistair Cockburn and it has a different way than what I learn at school. It is pretty good and has helped me somewhat but I don't like certain things in it (like the templates they use).

Thinking about picking up "UML Distilled" by Martin Fowler.

I do think UML has potential. I'm probably just not looking at it from a distance like I should
(bad experience with lots of teachers)

They have a UML forum *I think* over at JavaRanch forums. They might be able to help you find one.

 

[BCYL]

Originally posted by: DWW

Originally posted by: BCYL
Yes, UML is used EVERYWHERE in the real world.... I have always used it in all my software design (both in small companies and also in large firms, i have worked in both)...

1 UML diagram can replace lines and lines of text...

Perhaps one reason I dislike UML so much is that I'm aweful at it. I find some things are really subjective with it and it isn't as clear as a spec can be stated.

What sort of software have and do you develop if you don't mind me asking?

For the past couple of years I was working for a telecommunications company, developing a platform for hosting wireless applications... We use UML extensively in all our software design processes...

Right now I am working for a large consulting firm, and my current project is in the health care industry...

I should note that, every organization have their own UML convention... you're right, the general UML specs aren't very clear, but your own organization should refine them and create a more accurate standard for their employees to follow... At least that has always been the case for me...

 

[DT4K]

If you are still in school, then you probably don't see the point of UML. It is a waste of time for 90% of the programming you will do in school.

But when you start getting into big complicated systems with lots of interactions with other systems and programs, having things diagrammed out is very very helpful.
Part of working in the real world is that you have to be able to explain how a system works to non-programmers. This is much easier with diagrams.

 

[torpid]

Don't use it much here. We would use it more if we could get the tools that integrate UML into our development environment. The problem is that for larger projects, keeping the UML in synch with the real code is a huge effort.

However, I would certainly like to work with it more.