Class diagram?

Question

I find difficult to talk about the benefits and problems associated with documenting GIS software using UML Class diagrams. Any hints? Thank you

Answer 1

The Unified Modeling Language (UML) is an important tool for modeling Enterprise Application Integrations (EAI). The complex interaction among multiple applications, such as GIS, outage management (OMS), workforce management, and customer information systems, requires a tool to support many system development tasks. UML aids in modeling the business processes, managing EAI requirements, providing test criteria, and building end-user documentation. The applications that a GIS is required to interface with are constantly increasing and the applications are not only linked within a company but are also linked between companies. Traditionally, communication between the GIS and other applications has been customized, one integration at a time. The result is a set of complex and unique integration points with redundancy throughout the system. The EAI approach uses a set of tools to share data and business processes among connected applications and data stores within and, optionally, between organizations.

Though EAI provides a common communication interface between the systems, an EAI implementation still consists of a complex web of systems, people and processes. As the complexity of systems -- whether new or refurbished -- increases in scope and scale, so does the importance of good modeling techniques. The UML meets the modeling needs of such complex systems and thus has developed into a well-defined and widely accepted modeling language.