Representing design patterns and frameworks in UML - Towards a comprehensive approach

Abstract

Design patterns and frameworks have become important concepts in object development. As well important is UML as the standard modeling language. But there is not sufficient support to model design patterns and frameworks in design class diagrams (DCDs) without using the extension mechanisms, that is, stereotypes, constraints, and tagged values. Some approaches have been developed to improve the representation by extending UML. But they are either not comprehensive, or not well-defined, or don't consider the granularity or complexity of DCDs. In this paper we present a more comprehensive and well-defined approach by using an example, distinguish between DCDs, detailed DCDs, and design pattern CDs, define UML profiles for the extensions, and outline how an UML tool can support the approach.