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Better UML Modeling Tools?

Posted by Cliff on from the this-hammer-isn't-good-enough-coz-everything-is-not-a-nail dept.

PimpBot writes: "I'm taking a class in software engineering. To model our project, we're using UML, but I'm running into a problem - the software we're using, TogetherJ, is written in Java. The program has obscene memory requirements (128MB RAM min, 512 recommended), and being a poor college student, my box isn't close to supporting that. Are there any UML modeling clients out there that are dirt cheap, and don't use Java?"

2 of 29 comments (clear)

  1. three ideas by StandardDeviant · · Score: 3

    One: memory is dirt cheap right now. seriously. a 128mb stick of pc100 is like $40 where I live. see pricewatch.com for more US prices. If you live somewhere else I don't know if this point would be relevant. So you could probably at least approach the "ok performance" range, especially if you have family that would be sympathetic for your school-related need of an upgrade.

    Two: argoUML, a GPLd and reasonably decent java UML program. (argouml.org) It performs just fine on my machine (450mhz, 128 mb of pc100 ram).

    Three: TCM, the toolkit for conceptual modelling. Haven't played with it much but it looks pretty nifty. Also it isn't in Java. Again it runs fine on my machine. Does stuff besides UML too, I'm new to this whole modeling/specifying bit, so some of the functionality didn't make much sense to me.


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  2. Why UML? by geophile · · Score: 3
    Yes, I know this is off-topic, and please don't take this as a flame, but I'm really interested in the answer to this question: Why are they teaching UML? The absolute best software engineers I've known disdain UML. On projects where I've seen UML applied, it's been, at best, a minor distraction, and at worst, a project destroyer.

    What do you have to do to apply UML successfully, and what does it buy you that you couldn't get from simply thinking carefully about things up front?