Use Case Driven Object Modeling with UML : A Practical Approach (Addison-Wesley Object Technology Series) (Paperback)

~ Doug Rosenberg; Kendall Scott (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Combining some of today's best ideas about customer-driven object-oriented design, Use Case Driven Object Modeling with UML: A Practical Approach shows you how to use Unified Modeling Language (UML) in the real world, keeping with the author's proprietary software design process.

The book begins with the genesis of the author's ICONIX Unified Object Modeling Approach, borrowing ideas and strategies from the "three amigos" who invented UML: Grady Booch, James Rumbaugh, and Ivar Jacobson. Throughout this text, the ICONIX method is used to model a stock trading system, with all the relevant UML diagrams, beginning with class definition and use cases.

The author's approach to software relies heavily on customer requirements and use case scenarios for which he has a good deal of practical advice. He provides numerous hints for avoiding bogged-down diagrams. After preliminary design, he advocates drilling down into specifics with robustness diagrams, which trace how classes interact with one another. The most detailed design work comes next with sequence diagrams.

Subsequent chapters offer tips on project management, implementation, and testing. Throughout this lively and intelligently organized book, the author presents numerous real-world tips (and Top 10 lists) that supply wisdom to his perspective on effective software design.

Written for the reader who already knows a little UML notation, Use Case Driven Object Modeling with UML provides an appealing blueprint for the software design success. --Richard Dragan

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UML's second weakness is addressed by one new bit of notation, which Rosenberg calls a "robustness diagram." While the connection between the general idea of robustness and these diagrams seems a bit tenuous to me, they appear to be a useful bridge between use cases on the one hand, and implementation-oriented diagrams on the other. Their value becomes clear during the development of the book's running example, a simple stock-trading system. I have only two criticisms of this book. The first is that Rosenberg repeatedly refers to, and discusses, both older design notations and debates about the finer points of UML--in fact, he devotes an entire appendix to the difference between "uses" and "extends," despite the fact that he clearly doesn't think the difference is significant. This material might be of interest to the cognoscenti, but is out of place in a book aimed at newcomers. --Gregory V. Wilson, Dr. Dobb's Electronic Review of Computer Books -- Dr. Dobb's Electronic Review of Computer Books

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Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional; annotated edition edition (March 15, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0201432897
• ISBN-13: 978-0201432893
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #421,284 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Keyword here is "Practical", December 2, 1999

By	Todd Vierheller "todd_vierheller" (Litchfield Park, AZ USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

"Use Case Driven Object Modeling with UML, A Practical Approach" is perhaps the best book on the market for a down-to-earth, hands-on introduction to the Unified Process. As the title suggests, it leans heavily on the methodology of Ivar Jacobson, one of the three amigos. If you are trying to figure out what to do or where to start, this will point you in the right direction.

Three things in particular I liked about the book:

1. "The Approach in a Nutshell" as well as constant reference back to it.

2. The lists of ten.

3. The chapter on "robustness analysis" showing the transition from analysis to design (always a difficult transition in any methodology). This is the best part of the book in my opinion. It was real "hands-on".

"The Approach in a Nutshell" gives a great overview of the process including milestones, and provides a framework for everything to fit into. As the reader progresses through the book, each chapter summarizes that part of "the approach in a nutshell" that the chapter fits into. If this was the only feature in the book, it would be worth the price.

If you have ever read another series with "lists of ten", these are better. The lists of ten (there are over half-a-dozen) are worth taping up on the walls. They reflect the experience of someone who has been there and done that. The lists of ten alone are worth the price of the book.

The transition from analysis to design has rather heavy focus in this book, and deservedly so. Going from analysis to design is tricky in any methodology, and "Use Case Driven Object Modeling with UML, A Practical Approach" shines in this area. The authors refer to this as "robustness analysis," and this section alone is worth the price of the book.

This won't be the only book concerning the Unified Process that you will ever buy. But it is more than likely going to be one of the most useful to you.

This is not a tutorial on the UML; purchase "UML Distilled, Second Edition" by Martin Fowler and Kendall Scott if that is what you are looking for. The title may be slightly misleading in this respect. The real focus is on the "Practical Approach" part. If you are trying to sort out HOW TO DO IT, then this is a necessary addition to your library. It won't replace your books on the UML or the Unified Process, but it will help you pull it all together into a cohesive whole so you can get a grasp on how to start and how to proceed.

In addition to being very informative and clear in direction, the book is also surprisingly interesting to read. Its clarity and brevity keep it simple. You won't get bogged down reading this one. It is very well written.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of my current favourites, August 3, 2001

By	Christo "montxsuz" (Vancouver, Canada) - See all my reviews

Okay. I was sold on the Iconix process after a series of 5 articles in Software Development magazine. I went out and bought the book anyway. Fortunately, after reading the book, you won't need to buy the methodology.

I design community based web portal applications. Our applications are medium-sized, but complex. So RUP is too big, and XP is too small. The Iconix process presented here is just right for most of our applications.

UML is a large language. About 20% of it is very useful. The trick is knowing what 20%, and how the artifacts should follow each other. The book presents a lightweight process which is reasonably easy to use.

If you work in web development, read Conallen's "Building web applications with UML" also. The two books complement each other well. (See my review)

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good and pragmatic ideas, especially for small projects, December 23, 1999

By	Christophe Addinquy (Paris, France) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is short, which is a first reason to give it 4 stars, and the authors really gives us a good ration information / volume. I found the approach especially adapted to 6 month or less project with small team, because the author do not drown readers under a lot of activities and artifacts. We continuously have a "you are here" picture of the overall methodology, and we are continuously directed to code production. The best part of the book is probably the robustess analysis, which allow to go from Use Cases to an Object model, its something you can buy anyway if you practice Use Cases.