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Altova UModel® 2009 lets developers easily share and reuse customized UML packages across multiple projects.

Reuse of existing components is an acknowledged strategy to make software development more efficient, and the ability to share interconnecting subsystems among multiple developers is critical to the success of large, complicated projects. In addition, successful IT managers today require that data structures and business rules be standardized across the enterprise.

However, in the past these have been elusive goals. Independent modules can be difficult to extract from the body of a hand-coded application, and source code intended for reuse must be thoroughly documented to be understood by developers who did not work on the original project.

UModel® 2009 lets you define self-contained UML packages that can be easily shared across multiple projects or among developers. A software architect or data analyst can create and share a UML package to efficiently distribute a design to other team members and project stakeholders. Or, a single developer working alone can share a package from an earlier project to quickly reapply a successful design.

Creating a shared package

A selection from the UModel® 2009 Model Tree right-click context menu makes it easy to share a UML package.

Packages that have been shared are identified with a special icon in the model tree.

Shared packages can even contain diagrams and documentation to effectively describe the shared elements.

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Including a shared package

You have two options when including a shared package – also called a subproject – in a new UModel® 2009 project. A subproject may be included either by reference or as a copy.

Include by reference allows you to reuse standardized (and debugged!) packages that can be optionally stored in a central location. This method enforces consistent usage of the shared package, since the including project is not permitted to modify it. On the other hand, changes made to the shared package in the original UModel project will automatically ripple through all other projects that include the package by reference.

When a shared package is modified in the original project, any other project that includes the package by reference is notified immediately, or retrieves the latest changes the next time it is opened.

Include by copy makes an actual copy of the shared package and places the copy into the new project. This method is useful if the shared package is a pattern or template you want to use as a guide and adapt as needed in the new project. Include by copy even lets you apply cascading element styles defined in the new project to the included package.

See for yourself how UModel® 2009 can help you easily reuse successful subsystems or share UML diagrams and elements among multiple developers and other project stakeholders. Download a free 30-day trial of Altova UModel® 2009 today!