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Groups > comp.lang.java.programmer > #16265

Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML??

From Gene Wirchenko <genew@ocis.net>
Newsgroups comp.lang.java.programmer
Subject Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML??
Date 2012-07-23 13:53 -0700
Organization A noiseless patient Spider
Message-ID <3qcr08lkpvcmhe0drpffhegusd6k2a1670@4ax.com> (permalink)
References (6 earlier) <m8dp08hrsk48p3kj5g47uso1gpp1qrh603@4ax.com> <500cbc5d$0$295$14726298@news.sunsite.dk> <a74c3mF476U1@mid.individual.net> <i50r08hjiebe152pdeot546psfefk432vh@4ax.com> <a75lv5F11vU1@mid.individual.net>

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On Mon, 23 Jul 2012 21:11:29 +0200, Robert Klemme
<shortcutter@googlemail.com> wrote:

>On 23.07.2012 19:03, Gene Wirchenko wrote:
>> On Mon, 23 Jul 2012 09:17:09 +0200, Robert Klemme
>> <shortcutter@googlemail.com> wrote:
>
>>       And, UML did not do me any good.  UML did not help me design my
>> systems.  Indeed, all of the fiddling about with the editor was
>> distracting.
>>
>>       There is a lot to be said for simply putting pen to ink.  It is
>> quick, and it is amenable to change.
>
>Then why did you try to use an electronic tool?  I use diagramming tools 

     1) I do try new things.
     2) It was a requirement for coursework.

>(I did mention Visio, did I?) only for creating diagrams for documents. 
>  And it is quite fast at that.  A tool that does not get in your way. 

     I have used Visio.  It does get in the way.  Too much for use in
designing...

>When designing it's UML on whiteboard or paper.

     ...as you implicitly note here.

>>>> But given that the purpose of the UML is to give other a better
>>>> understanding of the system not so relevant.
>>>
>>> +1
>>
>>       UML is hardly the only way to do so.
>
>No, certainly not.  I don't think anybody claimed that so far.  UML does 
>have an advantage of being widely known and covering many important 
>aspects of software engineering.

     Yes, as does a diagram on a paper napkin.

>>       Have you ever used a sketch map?  A good sketch can be very
>> useful and very quickly made.
>
>Is this some kind of specific tool or do you mean a sketch map?  I am 
>asking because nowadays this sounds like it could be a tool's name.  I 
>am sketching all the time - and also likely violating strict UML while 
>doing so. :-)

     Not a specific tool.

     I loved the old, wide printer paper.  That size was great for
diagramming, and folding it in half vertically gave a good size for
notes.

>>       That is about it.  Now, why can't the reader read the sketch?
>> Even if I have to redraw the sketch to neaten it up, that is almost
>> certainly faster than entering the data with a UML editor.
>
>That depends on the UML tool.

     I would think that any tool would, in general, be slower than
just sketching.

>>       My big complaint with UML is that the tools to enter it are
>> awkward and slow to use.  I prefer to avoid such tools.
>
>Understandably.  But I'd say there are tools which do not suffer from 
>this.  (MagicDraw is certainly *not* one of them.)

     Which I did not run into, unfortunately.

>>       My secondary one is that it tries to force-fit things into its
>> diagram types.
>
>That's why I prefer a drawing tool over an UML modeling tool any time.

     It is nice to have the structure, but sometimes, one has to toss
it.

>>> <rant>I have seen quite a lot of documents apparently written with the
>>> writer in mind instead of the reader ("brain dump").  That attitude
>>> seems to be fairly common.  This is unfortunate since it limits
>>> usefulness of documents a lot.
>>>
>>> Unfortunately that seems to be true for code as well: there seems to be
>>> a tendency to just make things work without consideration of ease of
>>> use.  That is mostly determined by API and not internals.  Programmers
>>> (on average) seem to be more concerned with internal workings of their
>>> classes than with the public visible and usable API.</rant>
>>
>>       What rant?
>
>Oh, isn't it ranty enough? ;-)  I can write a version with explicit 
>language - but that won't go public. :-)

     No, it is not a rant at all.  It the voice of Sweet Reason.  Now,
if you were to suggest that such programmeers should be hung by their
thumbs, that might be ranting.  I might well still agree.

>>       I think that one of the biggest things holding us back is lack of
>> proper documentation.
>
>Absolutely true!
>
>>       If you want an example of imitation documentation, look at the
>> official documentation for Java.  It has about one-third of what it
>> should.  Were I grading it, it would get a solid D.
>
>Hmmm.  I can't say I was really lacking that much.  In which areas do 
>you see deficiencies?  Or: what would you add?

     I would add the following.  The square-bracketed end notes give
my rationale.

     Why would one use this class?  [If I am a newbie, I may not
know.]

     How is this class related to others?  What other classes would be
used with this class, and why?  [What is the structure of classes?
What is their interrelation?]

     What does this class have in common with other classes as to its
properties, methods, exceptions, etc.?  Some classes are very similar
-- I am thinking of readers and writers -- but address slightly
different things.  I would like to see something like "Readers
generally have the following properties, methods, exceptions, etc.:"
followed by the details of the in-common characteristics.  If a class
broke with the commonality, that should be documented in the class:
"<foo> breaks with <method> doing <doesthis1>, instead doing
<doesthis2>."  [I do not want to have to read the same thing several
times and possibly miss the time or times when a class behaves
differently]

     For each property, WHAT ARE THEIR VALID VALUES?  (Giving just the
property name is inexcusable.)  [I should not have to guess.  A name
is not documentation.]

     For each method, what are the parameters and the return value,
AND WHAT ARE THEIR VALID VALUES?  (Giving just the parameter name or
return type is inexcusable.)  Give at least one non-trivial example of
its use including what the correct result is.  [I should not have to
guess.  A name is not documentation.  I want to be able to check that
I understand what a method does.]

     If an unusual term is used in a class's documentation, define
that term.  [I recall a string class having the term "subsequence" in
its documentation.  Combined with no examples, it meant that I could
not follow that section at all.]

     And this should all be very easy to find.  Documentation that can
not be easily found might as well not exist.

     None of these points need be very long, but their absence can
severely cripple someone trying to use the class.

Sincerely,

Gene Wirchenko

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Thread

Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? "Ramon F. Herrera" <ramon@conexus.net> - 2012-07-19 13:09 -0700
  Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Daniel Pitts <newsgroup.nospam@virtualinfinity.net> - 2012-07-19 14:12 -0700
    Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Ivan The Not-So-Bad <1suf41n@yahoo.com> - 2012-07-19 21:47 +0000
    Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2012-07-19 18:00 -0400
  Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Lew <lewbloch@gmail.com> - 2012-07-19 14:35 -0700
  Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2012-07-19 17:58 -0400
  Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? David LaRue <huey.dll@gte.net> - 2012-07-19 22:22 +0000
  Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Leif Roar Moldskred <leifm@dimnakorr.com> - 2012-07-19 17:41 -0500
    Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Roedy Green <see_website@mindprod.com.invalid> - 2012-07-19 23:29 -0700
      Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Fredrik Jonson <fredrik@jonson.org> - 2012-07-20 07:16 +0000
        Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Robert Klemme <shortcutter@googlemail.com> - 2012-07-20 13:39 +0200
          Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Martin Gregorie <martin@address-in-sig.invalid> - 2012-07-20 19:33 +0000
            Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Robert Klemme <shortcutter@googlemail.com> - 2012-07-21 00:02 +0200
              Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Patricia Shanahan <pats@acm.org> - 2012-07-20 15:22 -0700
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Martin Gregorie <martin@address-in-sig.invalid> - 2012-07-20 23:45 +0000
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2012-07-20 19:54 -0400
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Robert Klemme <shortcutter@googlemail.com> - 2012-07-21 12:15 +0200
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Wanja Gayk <brixomatic@yahoo.com> - 2012-07-21 19:21 +0200
              Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Gene Wirchenko <genew@ocis.net> - 2012-07-22 19:26 -0700
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2012-07-22 22:52 -0400
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Robert Klemme <shortcutter@googlemail.com> - 2012-07-23 09:17 +0200
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Gene Wirchenko <genew@ocis.net> - 2012-07-23 10:03 -0700
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? markspace <-@.> - 2012-07-23 10:51 -0700
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Gene Wirchenko <genew@ocis.net> - 2012-07-23 11:42 -0700
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Robert Klemme <shortcutter@googlemail.com> - 2012-07-23 21:11 +0200
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Gene Wirchenko <genew@ocis.net> - 2012-07-23 13:53 -0700
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? "John B. Matthews" <nospam@nospam.invalid> - 2012-07-23 21:00 -0400
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Gene Wirchenko <genew@ocis.net> - 2012-07-23 18:48 -0700
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? "John B. Matthews" <nospam@nospam.invalid> - 2012-07-24 15:44 -0400
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Gene Wirchenko <genew@ocis.net> - 2012-07-24 13:47 -0700
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Lew <lewbloch@gmail.com> - 2012-07-24 14:18 -0700
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Gene Wirchenko <genew@ocis.net> - 2012-07-24 14:38 -0700
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2012-07-24 18:36 -0400
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Gene Wirchenko <genew@ocis.net> - 2012-07-24 16:32 -0700
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2012-07-24 20:20 -0400
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Gene Wirchenko <genew@ocis.net> - 2012-07-25 10:10 -0700
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2012-07-25 13:58 -0400
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Gene Wirchenko <genew@ocis.net> - 2012-07-25 13:38 -0700
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2012-07-25 18:42 -0400
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Lew <noone@lewscanon.com> - 2012-07-25 06:44 -0700
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Gene Wirchenko <genew@ocis.net> - 2012-07-25 10:14 -0700
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Jim Gibson <jimsgibson@gmail.com> - 2012-07-25 15:05 -0700
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Gene Wirchenko <genew@ocis.net> - 2012-07-25 16:07 -0700
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2012-07-25 19:35 -0400
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Gene Wirchenko <genew@ocis.net> - 2012-07-25 17:33 -0700
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2012-07-25 21:00 -0400
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Gene Wirchenko <genew@ocis.net> - 2012-07-26 09:06 -0700
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2012-07-26 13:04 -0400
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Patricia Shanahan <pats@acm.org> - 2012-07-26 09:36 -0700
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2012-07-26 13:10 -0400
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Patricia Shanahan <pats@acm.org> - 2012-07-26 11:01 -0700
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2012-07-26 14:47 -0400
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? David Lamb <dalamb@cs.queensu.ca> - 2012-07-26 17:13 -0400
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Patricia Shanahan <pats@acm.org> - 2012-07-27 09:05 -0700
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Wanja Gayk <brixomatic@yahoo.com> - 2012-08-04 10:17 +0200
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Patricia Shanahan <pats@acm.org> - 2012-08-04 07:45 -0700
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? "John B. Matthews" <nospam@nospam.invalid> - 2012-08-05 10:50 -0400
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Patricia Shanahan <pats@acm.org> - 2012-08-05 08:41 -0700
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? "John B. Matthews" <nospam@nospam.invalid> - 2012-08-06 21:23 -0400
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2012-08-06 22:11 -0400
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2012-08-06 22:01 -0400
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2012-08-06 21:58 -0400
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Gene Wirchenko <genew@ocis.net> - 2012-07-27 09:30 -0700
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Gene Wirchenko <genew@ocis.net> - 2012-07-26 10:57 -0700
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Wanja Gayk <brixomatic@yahoo.com> - 2012-08-03 00:41 +0200
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Lew <lewbloch@gmail.com> - 2012-08-02 16:48 -0700
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2012-08-02 19:52 -0400
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Lew <lewbloch@gmail.com> - 2012-08-02 17:33 -0700
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Lew <noone@lewscanon.com> - 2012-07-25 06:41 -0700
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2012-07-25 10:38 -0400
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2012-07-24 18:42 -0400
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Gene Wirchenko <genew@ocis.net> - 2012-07-24 16:35 -0700
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2012-07-24 20:07 -0400
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? markspace <-@.> - 2012-07-24 17:36 -0700
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Gene Wirchenko <genew@ocis.net> - 2012-07-25 10:22 -0700
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? markspace <-@.> - 2012-07-25 10:57 -0700
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Gene Wirchenko <genew@ocis.net> - 2012-07-25 13:41 -0700
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? markspace <-@.> - 2012-07-25 13:44 -0700
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Gene Wirchenko <genew@ocis.net> - 2012-07-25 14:34 -0700
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2012-07-25 18:46 -0400
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Gene Wirchenko <genew@ocis.net> - 2012-07-25 16:10 -0700
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Wanja Gayk <brixomatic@yahoo.com> - 2012-07-30 14:59 +0200
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2012-07-30 19:55 -0400
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Wanja Gayk <brixomatic@yahoo.com> - 2012-08-02 23:41 +0200
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2012-08-02 18:31 -0400
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? markspace <-@.> - 2012-07-25 15:54 -0700
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Gene Wirchenko <genew@ocis.net> - 2012-07-25 16:11 -0700
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2012-07-25 19:30 -0400
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2012-07-25 18:49 -0400
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Gene Wirchenko <genew@ocis.net> - 2012-07-25 16:13 -0700
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Robert Klemme <shortcutter@googlemail.com> - 2012-07-26 11:35 +0200
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Gene Wirchenko <genew@ocis.net> - 2012-07-26 09:16 -0700
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Robert Klemme <shortcutter@googlemail.com> - 2012-07-27 13:21 +0200
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Gene Wirchenko <genew@ocis.net> - 2012-07-27 09:16 -0700
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Robert Klemme <shortcutter@googlemail.com> - 2012-07-27 21:02 +0200
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Gene Wirchenko <genew@ocis.net> - 2012-07-27 13:47 -0700
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? markspace <-@.> - 2012-07-27 13:51 -0700
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? David Lamb <dalamb@cs.queensu.ca> - 2012-07-27 17:11 -0400
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Robert Klemme <shortcutter@googlemail.com> - 2012-07-28 18:36 +0200
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Eric Sosman <esosman@ieee-dot-org.invalid> - 2012-07-28 13:50 -0400
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Gene Wirchenko <genew@ocis.net> - 2012-07-29 15:24 -0700
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2012-07-23 19:46 -0400
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Gene Wirchenko <genew@ocis.net> - 2012-07-23 18:49 -0700
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2012-07-23 22:59 -0400
                Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2012-07-23 19:40 -0400
          Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2012-07-20 19:51 -0400
          Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Wanja Gayk <brixomatic@yahoo.com> - 2012-07-21 19:16 +0200
            Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Robert Klemme <shortcutter@googlemail.com> - 2012-07-21 19:49 +0200
              Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Wanja Gayk <brixomatic@yahoo.com> - 2012-07-23 03:28 +0200
      Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Leif Roar Moldskred <leifm@dimnakorr.com> - 2012-07-20 03:03 -0500
      Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2012-07-20 19:46 -0400
  Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? Wanja Gayk <brixomatic@yahoo.com> - 2012-07-21 18:59 +0200
  Re: Do C++ and Java professionals use UML?? R kamalakkannan <kamalakkannan.ney@gmail.com> - 2012-08-02 01:57 -0700

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