UML Bible

Conrad Bock
Workgroup Lead for UML 2 Activities and Actions
U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology
"The opinions expressed above do not reflect consensus of NIST,
and have not been reviewed by any Government authority."
Search on "JOT UML 2" for more information.


Great book for getting up to speed on UML 2.0   January 16, 2004
Roger D. Smith (San Francisco, CA United States)
12 out of 13 found this review helpful

....there is a substantial difference between UML 1.4 and UML 2.0 and the UML Bible is an excellent book to help software modelers discover what's new and different in the revised standard. I especially like the way Pender uses gray shading in the diagrams to help you quickly identify differences between the two versions of UML. This thoroughness is carried over into the listings in the Glossary, Index and Appendices, which feature separate UML 1.4 and UML 2.0 Notation Guides to help users understand unique aspects of both notations.

The section on bringing rigor to the modeling process with object constraint language (OCL) and Action Semantics is handled equally well, with a convincing explanation of the role of action semantics in providing a standard for the exchange of action specifications between UML tools, as well as future "executable UML" applications.

Whether you use the UML for informal 'sketching' of software ideas or a more exhaustive 'blueprint' approach to code, Pender's clear and accessible 940-page book provides a comprehensive and cost-effective way to get up to speed on all aspects of UML 2.0.


Most comprehensive book on UML 1.4 and 2.0   October 30, 2003
SZ
11 out of 12 found this review helpful

This book is highly recommended because not only is it clearly written, but it is also a comprehensive treatment of the full UML standard, including OCL, XMI and Action Semantics. In addition, an early chapter is devoted to explaining object-oriented concepts, so the UML is put into the right context and not just treated as a notation.

Because of the thorough comparisons made between UML 1.4 and UML 2.0, the UML Bible will ease the transition for many modelers to the latest, substantially revised version of the standard.

The chapter on OCL is very readable and makes this difficult topic a little easier for most people to appreciate.

The chapter on XMI is really just an introduction to the topic, but this chapter does include a very nice introduction to Diagram Interchange, a cool addition to UML 2.0.

Other highlights of UML Bible:

* Appendices include very usable notation guides, one for UML 1.4 and another for UML 2.0.
* A concise glossary that includes diagrams is included at the back.
* One major example dominates the book, a Ticketing System.
* A companion web site provides useful links and downloads.


Excellent book for medium to advanced UML users   July 26, 2005
Raymond M. Simms (Irvine CA)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

The book is laid out very well, starting with a review of UML and provides thorough and detailed descriptions of all the diagrams and notations. I'm using this nearly exclusively to help me model projects, and is on my desk instead of on my bookshelf.

The author clearly understands UML and takes the reader effectively through the distinctions between the many notations.

Pluses
- Excellent description on the differences between UML 1.4 and 2.0, including completely different chapters where necessary
- Detailed descriptions of all the notations including less often used pieces
- Explicit definitions of key terms that limit confusion created from the "common understanding" of the definitions
- Excellent example that runs through the entire book, with appropriate departures to clarify points.
- Valuable introduction to the Object Constraint Language (OCL) and action semantics
- Most information that belongs in the appendix / late chapters is there (see below)

A few dings -

First, I would have to agree with Mr. Duff's comments on the target audience - I'm fairly experienced with Object Oriented programming and with design work, but when I tried to read this, I started getting confused and very sleepy. I started out with UML for Dummies and this made life much easier.

Second, the author included an early chapter and 50 pages throughout the book to the architecture and formal definition of UML. Frankly, I'm not sure who is really interested in the definition of the UML 1.4 four layer architecture model and the UML 2.0 superstructure library, but to me the bigger sin is to put it in chapter 2 instead of an appendix / later chapter. I didn't gain anything except a headache by reading about it earlier in the book.

Third, although he is very clear about it through the book, the version that I have came out before the final specification. This may cause some things to be different from his version to the final specification. However, he details those specifically, gives the likely outcomes, and the detailed areas are in the hinterlands of UML.


Amazing book   May 13, 2007
Raniere S. M. Silva (Rio de Janeiro, RJ Brazil)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

That's the best UML book I've ever read!

There're a lot of amazing detailed examples in it, the explanations are very useful and with an easy use of language.

Therefore, really the best! It helped me a lot!