Aesthetics and automatic layout of UML class diagrams

In the last years, visual methods have been introduced in industrial software production and teaching of software engineering. In particular, the international standardization of a graphical software engineering language, the Unified Modeling Language (UML) was a reason for this tendency. Unfortunately, various problems exist in concrete realizations of tools, e.g. due to a missing compliance to the standard. One problem is the automatic layout, which is required for a consistent automatic software design. The thesis derives reasons and criteria for an automatic layout method, which produces drawings of UML class diagrams according to the UML specification and issues of human computer interaction, e.g. readability. A unique set of aesthetic criteria is combined from four different disciplines involved in this topic. Based on these aethetic rules, a hierarchical layout algorithm is developed, analyzed, measured by specialized measuring techniques and compared to related work. Then, the realization of the algorithm as a Java framework is given as an architectural description. Finally, adaptions to anticipated future changes of the UML, improvements of the framework and example drawings of the implementation are given.

Level thesis:degree_level

thesis.doctoral

Grantor dc:publisher

Universität Würzburg

Year

2005

Author dc:creator

• Eichelberger, Holger

Contributors dc:contributor

• Wolff von Gudenberg, von Gudenberg, Jürgen

• automatisches Layout
• UML Klassendiagramm
• semantische Ästhetik
• Zeichnen von Graphen
• computergestützte Softwaretechnik
• automatic Layout
• UML class diagram
• semantical aesthetic
• graph drawing
• CASE

Repository record source_url

https://opus.bibliothek.uni-wuerzburg.de/frontdoor/index/index/docId/1260

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:opus.bibliothek.uni-wuerzburg.de:1260