The Unified Modeling Language (UML) is an object-oriented (OO) standard notation that can be expanded and contracted as the application requires. This description of UML as used with Java has 15 chapters, four appendices, a bibliography, and an index. The approach is well balanced between theory and practice and between informal and formal presentation.

The first chapter is an introduction that describes the place of UML in the development process. The book explains that methodologies using the notation need to be consistent and complete. It emphasizes the practical use of UML in a design and analysis process.

Chapter 2 gives background information about OO technology. Chapter 3 contains an informal description of OO methodologies to give readers an understanding of the process. Chapter 4 uses the concepts described in the previous chapter to define UML and describe its application to the real world.

The fifth chapter defines Java and presents its environment and implementation. In the sixth chapter, OO modeling tools, in particular that of Popkin Software, illustrate the analysis process.

Chapter 7 shows how the OO process and model are used as a basis for business process engineering. The IBM Line of Vision process becomes a foundation for the examples in the remainder of the book.

The eighth chapter uses case analysis and the UML stereotypes (ideal objects) to generate scenarios of the development process. Chapter 9 informally discusses the application of classes, responsibilities, and collaborations, which are particularly useful for identifying the main components of a system. In chapter 10, UML class and object diagrams are used to develop chapter 7’s business application both on paper and using modeling tools. The eleventh chapter extends the model with UML sequences and collaborations. Chapter 12 extends the model with UML state and activity processes.

After performing the analysis, chapter 13 discusses the design procedures and processes used in the development cycle. In chapter 14, considerations of the architecture of the system, UML documentation, packages, and component diagrams re-emphasize the description with the example and tools. Chapter 15 considers the infrastructure classes of UML, problems of graphical user interfaces, and access to data; it also touches on coding and testing.

Appendix A gives the Java code for the example and describes how to obtain the code and the Popkin Software tool. Appendix B is a reference for the basic UML symbology, and Appendix C compares UML, Booch, and OMT processes. Appendix D gives background information about the organizations and products used in the book. The bibliography is a good listing of books and Web sites that contain related reference material.