UML diagram maker app

[WRXHokie]

Can anyone point me to a good UML diagram maker for the Mac?

[therevolution]

I don't personally do any UML creation, but I think OmniGraffle is the obvious suggestion.

This list might be useful.

[mags631]

Originally Posted by WRXHokie

Can anyone point me to a good UML diagram maker for the Mac?

I hesitate to suggest this because I have only just started to use this application, but if you don't get any good suggestions, you may want to look at ArgoUML. It requires Java, but it is free and seems half-decent (so far).

http://argouml.tigris.org

[cube]

QuickUML for just UML modeling, but I prefer MacA&D because it supports a lot of other methods and they can be mixed.
I also like starting the data dictionary with QuickCRC.
If you want to reverse engineer, you can use MacTranslator.

http://www.excelsoftware.com/

[WRXHokie]

Any free UML tools?

[MacDonaldsd]

http://www.visual-paradigm.com/

I used that for my UML diagrams I did last year.

The free version only allows you to have 1 uml diagram open at a time though, I think.

[cube]

Originally Posted by MacDonaldsd

http://www.visual-paradigm.com/

I used that for my UML diagrams I did last year.

The free version only allows you to have 1 uml diagram open at a time though, I think.

That is free only for non-commercial use.

The free version also does not do code generation, reverse or round-trip engineering.

[Legolamb]

Originally Posted by therevolution

I don't personally do any UML creation, but I think OmniGraffle is the obvious suggestion.

This list might be useful.

I agree. And even the free version bundled with the OS was just perfect for my little project.

[cube]

But UML should be done with a real modeling tool, not some drawing program.

[Legolamb]

Originally Posted by cube

But UML should be done with a real modeling tool, not some drawing program.

What do the "real" tools have that OmniGraffle's UML Palette does not? Beside the User, State, and Objects elements, what else do I need? Don't yell , I'm a noobie UML-er, so just asking.

[cube]

A UML modeling tool knows the semantics of the diagram, so you have dialogs for the attributes and operations, knows about inheritance, etc.
It can use this knowledge to generate code relatively easily.
Some tools also allow you to export to XMI for example, so that you might import them in another vendor's tool should you decide to change for some reason (and don't think that's a remote possibility, all CASE tools have their pros and cons). Some might not have XMI but their own XML format so it would be always possible to convert by yourself,maybe using XSLT.

[Legolamb]

Originally Posted by cube

A UML modeling tool knows the semantics of the diagram, so you have dialogs for the attributes and operations, knows about inheritance, etc.
It can use this knowledge to generate code relatively easily.
Some tools also allow you to export to XMI for example, so that you might import them in another vendor's tool should you decide to change for some reason (and don't think that's a remote possibility, all CASE tools have their pros and cons). Some might not have XMI but their own XML format so it would be always possible to convert by yourself,maybe using XSLT.

Got it. Thanks a lot. (Gotta love MR experts)

[cube]

What programming language are you using?

[Legolamb]

Originally Posted by cube

What programming language are you using?

I'm teaching myself Objective-C. But I used UML for a pretty high level description of a data management system I'm building. The function of learning UML was to better converse with the programmers who eventually would do the coding.

[cube]

This Visual Paradigm looks pretty impressive if you can restrict yourself to UML, at least from their spec sheet:

http://www.visual-paradigm.com/produ...comparison.jsp

It's also quite cheap if you only want a few licenses (ExcelSoftware is extremely cheap for site licenses, but seeing that this Visual Paradigm has XMI, Rose import, etc...).

[Legolamb]

Originally Posted by cube

This Visual Paradigm looks pretty impressive if you can restrict yourself to UML, at least from their spec sheet:

http://www.visual-paradigm.com/produ...comparison.jsp

It's also quite cheap if you only want a few licenses (ExcelSoftware is extremely cheap for site licenses, but seeing that this Visual Paradigm has XMI, Rose import, etc...).

Er, Windows???? I can't speak for the OP, but I'd be more interested in something friendly with Mac rather than working in Boot Camp.

[cube]

Originally Posted by Legolamb

Er, Windows???? I can't speak for the OP, but I'd be more interested in something friendly with Mac rather than working in Boot Camp.

Didn't see that. I assumed that as someone mentioned it here, there was a Mac version.

So I guess, that for someone wanting Objective-C generation on the Mac, the only answer is ExcelSoftware, unless you are prepared to hack that yourself with some of the open modeling toolkits.

[Legolamb]

Originally Posted by therevolution

.....

This list might be useful.

I guess it's back to the list, OP, although Cube does emphasize the difference between a "diagramming" tool and and "modelling" one.

[cube]

In "the list", they seem to be modeling, not drawing, tools in general. I was only referring to OmniGraffle.

[cube]

Looking for something free, I would try to go for Eclipse and the EMF.

Here are the things that you could use to set up a toolchain that would allow you to hack your own Objective-C generation (just pick the some free modeler for Mac, I guess Papyrus):

http://www.acceleo.org/pages/additionnal-products/en

Then you write an Objective-C generation module for Acceleo.

[macsig]

If you need something professional my suggestion is Agilian by Visual-paradigm

http://www.visual-paradigm.com/product/ag/

[demallien]

Visual Paradigm is absolutely horrible to use - at least the version from about a year ago was, we use it at my work :-( (well, when I say 'we', I mean the company that I work for - personally I've decided that modelling should only be done when you're having problems putting together a system conceptually yourself....)

On the other hand, I found that Poseidon is a good program. It's been developed from ArgoUML, but is way more polished. They offer a free version which is crippled in a couple of minor ways (like round-trip engineering only works for Java in the trial version). But that would be my recommendation, Poseidon.

[macsig]

Originally Posted by demallien

Visual Paradigm is absolutely horrible to use - at least the version from about a year ago was, we use it at my work :-( (well, when I say 'we', I mean the company that I work for - personally I've decided that modelling should only be done when you're having problems putting together a system conceptually yourself....)

On the other hand, I found that Poseidon is a good program. It's been developed from ArgoUML, but is way more polished. They offer a free version which is crippled in a couple of minor ways (like round-trip engineering only works for Java in the trial version). But that would be my recommendation, Poseidon.

Poseidon is sucks

[Great Dave]

You might try out Java Studio Enterprise 8.1 or Netbeans 6. Netbeans 6 has pretty much superseded JSE anyway.

Code generation, Reverse engineering, and UML 2.0 compliance are a few great features.

I think the code generation and reverse engineering features are only available for Java right now, but I think they are planning on adding support for other languages, too - C++, scripting, etc. I don't know if that is planned for before the release of NB 6 or after.

It's free, too!

[macsig]

NB 6 is a great product