Models are used by professional developers to communicate their work to project stakeholders and to other developers. The Unified Modeling Language (UML) has been an important part of the software development landscape since its introduction in 1997. We've seen the UML evolve over the years and it is now into its 2.x series of releases. Modeling style, however, has remained constant and will continue to do so. By understanding and following these common modeling style guidelines, you can improve the effectiveness of your models.

I've updated this book to include the new diagrams in UML 2, to use the terminology of UML 2, and to include hand-drawn diagrams. The vast majority of models are drawn on whiteboards and I think that it's time that modeling books, including this one, reflect that reality.

Purpose

This book describes a collection of standards, conventions, and guidelines for creating effective UML diagrams. They are based on sound, proven principles that will lead to diagrams that are easier to understand and work with.

These simple, concise guidelines, if applied consistently, will be an important first step in increasing your productivity as a modeler.

Features

This guide attempts to emulate Strunk and White's (1979) seminal text, The Elements of Style, which lists a set of rules describing the proper application of grammatical and compositional forms in common use within the written English language.

Using a similar style of presentation, this book defines a set of rules for developing high-quality UML diagrams.