Documenting a projects design

halfling · 13th April 2012, 6:23 PM

well its been a while since I tackled any real project so i am looking to nut out the design in UML before i get to stuck in to writing the code to help reduce the oh i really don't need that function moments.

Has anyone found any decent tools for making UML models of an application? preferably I'm looking for something that can stub out my application in java to eclipse for me once I'm happy with the model, and potentially have the model updated as i write more code to help form part of the final documentation.

as its just a hobby project something free would be best

Elyzion · 13th April 2012, 8:16 PM

Test Driven Development.
or
Behaviour Driven Development.

lothloriel · 13th April 2012, 9:40 PM

http://astah.net/download#community

I think this is the one i used for a project managment course last year, has pretty much all you'll need for a basic UML project.

You may be able to integrate it into your java project, but can't say for sure.

easy as pie to use.

zach · 14th April 2012, 10:10 PM

Visual Studio will generate UML diagrams from classes lol.

+1 for BDD - Cucumber is very cool.

halfling · 15th April 2012, 1:10 PM

BDD sounds like where i was headed with my testing anyway so i might try to follow that more strictly.

however this still does not help my original problem of attempting to lay out the objects in a manner to help me get there interactions for class design set out to make my firsts tests succeed

slaytanic · 16th April 2012, 9:32 AM

The last D in TDD/BDD is Design. So writing your tests will go a long way to establishing what your classes will look like and how they interact. And it will discourage you from writing unnecessary methods etc.

Don't write the code first then the tests, write the tests first and design your classes/behaviour so the tests will pass.

halfling · 16th April 2012, 6:58 PM

@slaytanic the second d is actually Development (Test Driven Development or Behavior driven Development)

As this stage I'm more after modeling where all my data is stored based on the relationships between them so i know what i have to reference when i am trying to make a test pass

13th April 2012, 6:23 PM	#1
halfling Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Canberra Posts: 136	Documenting a projects design well its been a while since I tackled any real project so i am looking to nut out the design in UML before i get to stuck in to writing the code to help reduce the oh i really don't need that function moments. Has anyone found any decent tools for making UML models of an application? preferably I'm looking for something that can stub out my application in java to eclipse for me once I'm happy with the model, and potentially have the model updated as i write more code to help form part of the final documentation. as its just a hobby project something free would be best

13th April 2012, 9:40 PM	#3
lothloriel Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Sydney Posts: 3,147	http://astah.net/download#community I think this is the one i used for a project managment course last year, has pretty much all you'll need for a basic UML project. You may be able to integrate it into your java project, but can't say for sure. easy as pie to use. __________________ \| last.fm \| What is this life if, full of care, we have no time to stand and stare? -W. H. Davies Last edited by lothloriel; 13th April 2012 at 9:45 PM.

14th April 2012, 10:10 PM	#4
zach Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: chermside.bris.qld.au:80 Posts: 2,568	Visual Studio will generate UML diagrams from classes lol. +1 for BDD - Cucumber is very cool.

15th April 2012, 1:10 PM	#5
halfling Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Canberra Posts: 136	BDD sounds like where i was headed with my testing anyway so i might try to follow that more strictly. however this still does not help my original problem of attempting to lay out the objects in a manner to help me get there interactions for class design set out to make my firsts tests succeed

16th April 2012, 9:32 AM	#6
slaytanic Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Sydney Posts: 390	The last D in TDD/BDD is Design. So writing your tests will go a long way to establishing what your classes will look like and how they interact. And it will discourage you from writing unnecessary methods etc. Don't write the code first then the tests, write the tests first and design your classes/behaviour so the tests will pass.

16th April 2012, 6:58 PM	#7
halfling Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Canberra Posts: 136	@slaytanic the second d is actually Development (Test Driven Development or Behavior driven Development) As this stage I'm more after modeling where all my data is stored based on the relationships between them so i know what i have to reference when i am trying to make a test pass