Re: UML (Was: Ada to C++ translator?)

[Pierre Dissaux <pierre.dissaux@tni.fr>]

Ray Blaak wrote:
> 
> Nick Williams <nickw@acm.org> writes:
> 
> > Ken Garlington wrote:
> > Rose 98i will code generate package specifications and stubbed bodies;
> > as well as basic accessor subprograms, but it's quite clear that UML is
> > not sufficient to convey the full semantic meaning of a reverse
> > engineered program.
> 
> Nor should it be. UML is about describing software designs. The full details of
> the implementation are ... in the implementation.
> 
> One would not even want to describe the full implementation in a UML model. The
> level of abstraction is all wrong.
> 

HOOD (Hierarchical Object Oriented Design) method offers a better
approach at this level:

- easy to use graphical notation for Architectural Design: based on the
concept of Module which always maps an Ada package (it may represent a
class like UML, or any other software abstraction you can find in an Ada
application). The method helps minimizing dependencies between the
modules.
- comprehensive textual notation for Detailed Design: all design
documentation and code fits into a normalized textual structure (called
ODS).
- program structure (packages, dependencies,...) and behavioural code
(tasking, ...) can be automatically generated whereas procedural code
and more complex declarations are hand written, but within a well
defined framework and under the control of a tool (controlling the
dependencies again).
- supports Ada reverse engineering

for further information:
http://www.tni.fr/tni/offre/stood/index.eng.html

Pierre Dissaux,
TNI

> Just consider the work required to put this on some sort of UML diagram:
> 
>   for i := 1..10 loop
>     Ada.Text_IO.Print(Integer'Image(i));
>   end loop;
> 
> One would have to tediously draw out all sorts of nit-picky details. The
> diagram won't necessarily be comprehensible either.  It is far more succinct
> and understandable to simply write and/or look at the code.
> 
> The important information to put in a UML model is that which lets the reader
> know what the major pieces of a system are, and how they relate. That is, the
> reader leaves with a decent understanding of how to go about implementing the
> system. The precise realization of the design is more properly described in the
> code.
> 
> Cheers,                                        The Rhythm is around me,
>                                                The Rhythm has control.
> Ray Blaak                                      The Rhythm is inside me,
> blaak@infomatch.com                            The Rhythm has my soul.