do i map the VB form as a package in UML

[vb_student]

Hello

i am trying to the software architecture design for a VB project. in the class diagram, do i map a VB form as a package in UML?

[Hack]

This is an interesting question.

A package is a UML construct that enables you to organize model elements, such as use cases or classes, into groups.

If you were going to map a VB Form as a package, then what your use cases or classes be?

Upon further reflection, I guess you could map it as a package and map the controls on the forms as a 'use cases' within the package.

[vb_student]

thanks for the reply

i think that would result in my forms being considered as a system.

i would like all the forms to be considered as one system. what is a good way to model the form and its command buttons, so that i may capture my VB project as one system

[Hack]

Do you have all of the UML documentation?

[vb_student]

you mean documentation for the project?

i have come up with a set of use cases. i am working on the class diagram now, struggling at the moment

[Hack]

No, not your project documentation, I'm talking about these documents/documentation.

[vb_student]

no, i did not have the document, i was just going by a couple of books that i have on me.

thanks for the link, i chose Download Option 1 - Complete Specification and just downloaded this document "OMG Unified Modeling Language Specification"

i also downloaded "Document -- ptc/02-09-04 (UML 1.5 Models in in MDL Format - Action Semantics FTF outcome)", ikt has got a bunch of models in .mdl format, but i dont know how to open them

[Hack]

We have one PDF file that covers UML, but didn't have much more. Actually, based on your question, I Googled UML and came up with a bunch of interesting pages on the subject, but the link I sent you I felt was the most informative.

I'm not sure what a mdl format is, but I'll see what I can find out.

[vb_student]

i did a search for visual basic and forms in the UML1.5 pdf document but could not come up with any information related to VB.

[Hack]

Here is what I found on the mdl format.

i did a search for visual basic and forms in the UML1.5 pdf document but could not come up with any information related to VB.

Correct, and you wont. If you go to the UML web site, you will discover that it offers modeling structures on a higher level than individual programming languages. When we use UML, we follow their profile for Enterprise Distributed Object Computing. (At least that is what the people in my department that do that kind of stuff has told me.)

[vb_student]

what do you guys model forms as?
i could take that as a starting point and build up on that

[Hack]

I'll have to find out for you. I dont do any of that and neither do any of the other programmers in my department. We have technical documentation staff that does all of the kind of thing. In fact, they were the ones that told me about the web sites and what profile they use.

(The only thing I ever see in terms of things on paper are program specs or bug sheets - LOL)

I'll be hack...er...I mean back....

[Hack]

I work as a commerical developer and a lot of what we do, and document, is propriety. It turns out that I'm not supposed to say how we model or use the UML profiles. I wish I could help more.

[vb_student]

you mean mapping a VB form into UML involves IPR issues??

can you gimme a teensie weensie hint, man

or just point me in the direction

or if there are any UML modelling resources related to VB on the net, please, please, please, point me to them

[vb_student]

my solution was that i map the form without the combo boxes, text boxes, check boxes as one object, and then the combo boxes, text boxes, check boxes would be seperate boxes.

in such a case, if i have say 3 combo boxes on one form, shoudl i show the 3 combo boxes as 3 seperate objects or should i show it through a multiplicity of 3:1

[Hack]

or if there are any UML modelling resources related to VB on the net, please, please, please, point me to them

All of the UML references that I found, I found doing a Google search, so you might want to try that.

you mean mapping a VB form into UML involves IPR issues??

It sounds a bit odd, but I don't make the rules, I just have to follow them.