The Truth is in the Models

Adopting UML as

modeling platform

by Andrius Strazdauskas

No Magic

About myself

• Andrius Strazdauskas

• European Sales Director @ No Magic

• 13 years in modeling industry

• Former:

• Programmer @ No Magic

• Project manager @ No Magic

• Product manager @ No Magic

• Standards Architect @ OMG

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Evolution of modeling standards

A lot of modeling standards are available:

– UML

– SysML

– BPMN

– SoaML

– UPDM

– SBVR

– IMM

– and many more

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Evolution of modeling

• Models are getting larger

• Models are getting more complex

• Models are used at more and more domains

• Models tend to overlap

As a result there are a lot of disconnected models

that are modeling connected things

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How to…

How to have models that are:

• Integrated,

• Traceable,

• Based on standards…

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UML as platform for model

integration

Pros:

• UML has infrastructure

• UML has extensibility mechanism

• UML is rich enough to cover most types of models

• A lot modeling standards are built on UML

• Wide support in tooling

• Standard persistence

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UML as platform for model

integration (2)

Cons:

• UML is very complex (~250 concepts)

• UML is perceived as technical/IT language

• A UML profile need to be created for each new

modeling standard in order to integrate it into

master model

• Can be extended, but not subtracted

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What’s next?

• So if UML can host any type of model…

• …literally every UML tool can allow working on any

kind of model !..

• Or… is something that is good for everything is

really good for nothing?..

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Is this BPMN?

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This is how it should look

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If a tool needs to model non-UML models it needs to

stop being a UML tool :

• Hide UML

• Show domain specific information

What are the challenges for UML tool?

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How did we do it?

Basic ideas:

• Change (extend) the metamodel

• Change the way diagram looks like

• Introduce custom diagram types

• Hide unnecessary UI

• Change the meta-names

• Add additional modeling rules

• Add model validation rules

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Metamodel changes

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Diagram Element Change

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New diagram types

Domain-specific

diagram palette

Diagrams are

customized using

MagicDraw UI

This customization is UI driven, no coding is required.

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GUI changes

Domain-specific

properties

Domain-specific

names

Can be further

customized by

user

This customization is model driven, no coding is required.

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Role-based perspectives

This customization is UI driven, no coding is required.

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Validation

Model-

based

(OCL) rule

definition Validation

results

This customization is model driven, no coding is required.

Summary

• UML can be used as a platform for different kinds

of models

• MagicDraw can be transformed into a DSL

solution at a pretty low cost

• User friendly / domain specific interface instead

of technical one is the key

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QUESTIONS?

Awards

Best Team

Development

Tool

Best Java

Modeling Tool

Jolt Productivity

Winner Best Java

Database Tool