UML-MX Tool Overview Screencast
The screencast below demonstrates how to get started with UML-MX v.1.0.2. It shows how to use specific features of the tool and gives an impression of additional concepts offered by UML++. For general guidance on installation you need to follow the guidelines provided in XModelerML – Getting Started.
The following tool features are illustrated:
- Opening UML-MX after installation [00:00]
- Control Center [01:38]
- Diagram-Editor Window [05:23]
- Palette and Diagram Overview [05:43]
- Click and keyboard shortcuts [07:38]
- Editor Tool Bar: Saving a model and changing the diagram view [08:32]
- Editing classes and objects [09:59]
- Editor Menu Bar: Exporting a model, hiding model elements, show issues, get Help [11:58]
- Adding diagram views [13:43]
- Multiple diagrams for one model [14:48] (ADDITION: Saving a model will save all diagrams within the model)
- UML++ Learning Units [15:58]
- Closing UML-MX [18:10]
UML-MX Navigating Learning Units
The screencast below demonstrates how to navigate the UML++ learning units, which are available in full since UML-MX v1.1
Known Error Messages and How to Handle Them
“Identifier is not unique in Class“
When you specify a new association, you must also define unique names of identifiers. Identifiers are used when trying to access linked objects through constraints or operations. If they were not unique, the reference would ambiguous. If an identifier is not unique in a class, it is already being used, either by an existing association or the name is reserved by an attribute in the class. To overcome the error, you need to change the name of the affected identifiers or attributes. This is illustrated in the screencast below.
“The attribute ‘name’ cannot be used”
When you try to add an attribute called “name,” an error will appear and you cannot add the attribute. The attribute name “name” is reserved and used by UML-MX to represent the name of an object, like “customer1”. This allows you to access object names in operations and constraints with “self.name”. You must choose a more specific name for your attribute.
Export as image (PNG/SVG) does not work
Export as image might not work (no file will be saved) if the path is too long. Try using a shorter path.
Loading/Saving a file does not work
Since it may happen that UML-MX crashes sometimes, you should always save intermediate results. One particularly ennoying issue is when CTRL+S or the save button do not react. This error will persist the run-time of UML-MX; it won’t vanish if you do not perform the following steps. In the directory where the application resides, you will find a “user.properties” file. In that file, there will be “recentlySavedModelDir=…” entry. This entry is corrupted and must be removed. Once you remove it, you can save models again.