[Modeling] Re: Seq. diag. answer to Michael Winikoff

[Radovan Cervenka]

> On 3/25/03 3:14 AM, Radovan Cervenka scribed:
>
> > BTW looking at UML 2.0, I feel that there could be more cases for which
we
> > will offer alternative notations. Not only replacing some acronyms by
icons,
> > but also replacing maybe several modeling elements by one visual element
(of
> > course with unambiguous metamodel mapping). E.g. while modeling some
AUML
> > concept that is naturally represented by a dependency and a constraint.
It
> > can be drawn e.g. as a line with special arrowhead and guard, instead of
> > drawing dependency and constraint as two separate visual elements...
>
> At some point, we have to decide how much to *deviate* from UML 2.0 and
how
> much to *extend" it.  By "extending" I mean adding to UML 2.0; by
> "deviating" I mean changing the UML 2.0 notation without extending it.
> Deviation carries with it the problem that the thousands of people that
are
> using it in its non-extended version will not be able to move easily to
the
> extended version a minimum of change to the base notation.


I think that the aim of AUML is to *extend* UML 2.0, e.g. by adding of new
modeling element types (stereotypes). By default, a standard UML notation
will be provided for new elements (of course with possible new icons for
stereotypes, etc.). Furthermore, we can offer *deviations* - PRESENTATION
OPTIONS. The presentation options can be supported by CASE tools, but they
do not need to be. Situation is the same also for existing CASE tools and
UML 1.*. E.g. some tools support special iconic markers for visibility (that
is a presentation option in UML 1.4) and some support just textual notation;
or some tools use comma-separated list of template parameters and some tools
place one parameter per line, etc.

It is important to realize this "extend/deviate" problem, but at this stage
of AUML defining it is maybe useless to go into detail "general"
discussions. We will see concrete cases of notations and presentation
options, when AUML is defined in more details.

Regards,

Rado1.
--
Radovan Cervenka | rce@whitestein.com
Whitestein Technologies | www.whitestein.com
Panenska 28 | SK-81103 Bratislava | Slovak Republic
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