Tools: UMLet – Great tool for drawing UML diagrams

UMLet is an open source UML diagramming tool with a twist! I’ve used many UML tools in the past, but UMLet is different.

It’s a diagramming tool for the diagram-challenged in us!! You simply type text and it will convert to UML boxes and arrows immediately. It can create simple UML diagrams, Use cases, Activity diagrams and sequence diagrams. I use it to produce some non-UML diagrams as well.

It has a pallet of UML elements already available which you can double click or drag and drop onto your diagram. You will a properties box on the right, where you can start typing – rename, add arrows, lines etc. Yes, you can change the already present elements in the pallet as well!

I particularly like the fact that you can add custom elements to the already rich set of drawing elements. While creating a drawing element, you add Java code snippets to create shapes to your custom elements. Really powerful! OH yeah, it compiles the Java snippets on the fly!!!

Here is a really nice presentation on Prezi to get you started. It has an embedded video as well. Short and sweet.

 

If you want to learn more about the tool, you can always look at the Source code on github.

The diagrams are stored in UXF (UML Exchange format) format. It is really an XML file with specific format used by the tool. I’ve tried and succeeded in generating this file for some simple diagrams. It is available in various flavors – as a standalone (Java) executable or as a plugin in various IDE including Eclipse.

As a tool, it is intriguing – from the simplicity of use to the versatility of adding to new elements. Complex Diagrams can be produced quickly. I love it. Give it a try! You can download the tool here.