UML Versions and Its Tools
As indicated in the image above, UML stands for "Unified Modeling Language”. An object-oriented unified modeling language. It is a general-purpose, developmental modeling language in the field of software engineering that is intended to provide a standard way to visualize the design of a system. These object-oriented languages were used to create complex but compelling systems. Developers created UML in the late 1990s to better map out complex projects.
UML retains an important place in any software development project. It gives teams a valuable tool for mapping complex software projects. It is a flexible, universal visual modeling language. UML creates a standard form to visualize systems.
UML Versions
Before the introduction of UML version 1.0: UML had its roots in Object-Oriented Programming Methods. It was mainly based on two or three techniques, such as the booch method, the object modeling technique, and object-oriented software engineering. These techniques unified it into a single standardized language.
Way back in the late twentieth century — 1997 to be exact — the Object Management Group (OMG) released the first version of Unified Modeling Language (UML 1.1).
In March 2000, UML 1.3 was introduced and the existing model was updated with the semantics, notations, and meta-models of UML.
September 2001, was the period of the major update to the UML (1.4). It scaled UML by providing various extensions. Visibility, artifact, and stereotypes were introduced in diagrams.
UML 1.5 was released in March 2003. This version added various aspects to the UML, such as data flow mechanisms, procedures, etc.
In 2005, the International Organization for Standardization approved UML (1.4.2) as an ISO standard. It is used in various industries for creating object-oriented models.
The next version (UML 2.0) was introduced in August 2005. Various features and aspects were added to the existing diagrams like timing, object package, interaction, etc. Activity and sequence diagrams were also updated with the new features.
In April 2006, UML 2.1 was released and corrections were made to UML 2.0.
UML 2.1.1 was released on the date of February 2007; Upgrades were introduced in UML 2.1.
UML 2.1.2 was introduced in November 2007, and in this version, the previous version was upgraded.
In February 2009, UML 2.1.2 bugs were fixed.
UML 2.3 was released in May 2010. In this version, 2.2 was refined, and minor changes were added to the component diagrams.
UML 2.4.1 was introduced in August 2011, the previous version was refined and updated with new features. Some changes in the packages, classes, and stereotypes were made.
The release date of UML 2.5 was in June 2015. UML 2.4.1 was revised with minor changes. UML was made simple than it was before. Rapid functioning and the generation of more effective models were introduced. Outdated features were eliminated. Models and templates were eliminated as auxiliary constructs.
So UML versions were been upgraded and released from time to time. The latest UML version is 2.5.1 which was released in December 2017.
UML Diagrams
UML has many types of diagrams, which are divided into two categories. Some types represent structural information (emphasizes the static structure of the system using objects, attributes, operations, and relationships. It includes class diagrams and composite structure diagrams),
and the rest represent general types of behavior (emphasizes the dynamic behavior of the system by showing collaborations among objects and changes to the internal states of objects. This includes use case diagrams, activity diagrams, and state machine diagrams),
including a few that represent different aspects of interactions (they are nothing but a subset of behavioral diagrams. It is used to visualize the flow between various use case elements of a system. This includes a timing diagram, sequence diagram, and collaboration diagram).
UML Tools/Software
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There are many tools available in the market to generate UML diagrams. Some are desktop based while others can be used online. Following is a curated list of tools that can be used for the creation of UML models:
- Edraw Max
- Moqups
- Visio
- Adobe Express
- Lucidchart
- StarUML
- Umbrello
- Altova
- Draw.IO
- Astah
- Gleek.io and lots more.
Preferred UML tool with reasons
UML tools are used to help one with the modeling language, but finding the preferred tool is not that easy. There are countless providers of UML programs on the net, but not every program offers the same functions. While some tools require less memory, they have few features. Other UML diagram tools can map any diagram type and export it to different programming languages and import a model from existing code.
So, the first thing to consider when choosing is what you want to represent with UML. Should the system’s structure or the system’s behavior be shown? Depending on the answer, you then can choose a UML tool that is suitable for you.
But in the meantime, out of all the choices that I saw come across online, I think Lucidchart is good and the easiest UML application choice for diagramming software. It is fast, intuitive, and simple, setting a positive tone for the app.
Reasons:
The signup process doesn’t pester you for a credit card or too much information. You can provide an email address and create a password, or you can sign up using a Google, Microsoft 365, or Yahoo account for authentication.
Starting a new document is a breeze, whether you use one of Lucidchart’s templates or choose a blank canvas. You can move shapes around, resize them, rotate them, duplicate them, group and ungroup them, and so forth. See, Lucidchart is fast and responsive and figuring out how to use it comes naturally. The user experience feels much more intuitive than it does in other tools e.g., Gliffy, which requires more clicking and tool-switching.
Lucidchart has a ton of useful tools and features, all of which are easy to find and use. Some are quite standard, like the ability to group objects, copy and paste them, align and distribute them, and so forth.
Another important aspect of diagramming software is whether and how it helps you show your finished product. With Lucidchart, you can export to JPEG, PDF, PNG, PNG with transparent background, SVG, SVG with transparent background, Visio (VDX), and Visio 2010 (VDX). There’s also an option to export the CSV file of your shape data.
Additionally, Lucidchart supports the following file types for importing: Draw.io, Gliffy, Omnigraffle, and Visio.
Lucidchart Pro has a handy tool that helps you turn a diagram into a presentation. It puts a small window on the screen, and whatever you frame into that window becomes a slide.
The ability to collaborate in real-time is quickly becoming a standard feature in diagramming apps, especially cloud-based ones. Lucidchart has it, and it works smoothly. Every Lucidchart user can invite other people to edit diagrams with them, no matter their account type, although the limitations of the account still apply when collaborating. For example, Free account holders can only have three editable documents at a time.
In summary, Lucidchart supports real-time collaborative editing, has well-stocked libraries of templates and objects, and offers many options for exporting and presenting your diagrams.
That will be all for now till another time but remember the best UML tool is one that performs the desired tasks efficiently and uses as few resources as possible.
