Before you start

What is code modeling?

What we refer to as simply code modeling is a technology found in IBM® Rational® modeling tools that helps you to depict code-level concepts graphically using UML (Unified Modeling Language) notation, but without relying upon separately persisted UML semantics (abstract syntax). There are many benefits of representing code elements in UML. Most importantly, UML is an open standard, and well-known to the software development community. You can easily understand any complex system by creating diagrams and views that visually represent the internals of a system. Using code modeling technology, you can do this in 3GL domains such as Java™ and C++.

Code modeling is different from the traditional Round Trip Engineering (RTE) capability provided by products such as IBM® Rational Rose® or IBM® Rational® XDE™, as it enjoys the following characteristics:

• Uses UML notation (concrete syntax)
• Requires no knowledge of UML semantics (abstract syntax)
• Requires no knowledge of how 3GL semantics map to UML semantics
• Compared to traditional RTE, eliminates overhead of 3GL-to-UML mapping and synchronization
• Compared to traditional RTE, greatly simplifies team workflows
• Can be used for Mixed-Modeling, where you can depict code elements alongside true UML semantic elements, and alongside depictions of DDL (tables) and other semantic domains

IBM® Rational® Modeling Extension for Microsoft® .NET (hereafter, Rational Modeling Extension for .NET) allows users to visualize (or view) their C# code or .NET assemblies using UML2 notation. It Installs into an IBM® Rational® architecture management tool (such as IBM® Rational® Software Modeler, IBM® Rational® Systems Developer, or IBM® Rational® Software Architect). Because of a dual shell (Rational Modeling Extension for .NET and Visual Studio 2005 running simultaneously) that users experience, visualization with Rational Modeling Extension for .NET is not exactly the same as some of the other visualization capabilities that ship with the just-mentioned architecture tools (for example, Java).

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About this series

This series of tutorials covers topics ranging from introducing .NET visualization, to advanced topics such as maintaining links between Visual Studio 2005 and Rational Modeling Extension for .NET and structured references for .NET elements.

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About this tutorial

This tutorial walks you through an example with typical operations that you would perform when you develop an application using Rational Modeling Extension for .NET. While doing this, the tutorial uses the following kinds of diagrams:

• Class diagrams
• Sequence diagrams
• Topic diagrams
• Browse diagrams

Apart from this, the tutorial will also talk about reflecting source code changes made in Visual Studio 2005 (or later) to the models in Rational Modeling Extension for .NET.

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Objectives

After completing this tutorial, you will know how to use Rational Modeling Extension for .NET to create class, sequence, browse, and topic diagrams, and to reflect source code changes in Rational Modeling Extension for .NET.

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Prerequisites

This tutorial is written for architects and developers alike whose skills and experience with UML and .NET are at a beginning to intermediate level.

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System requirements

To work with Rational Modeling Extension for .NET, you will require it to be installed as an extension to Rational Software Architect, Rational Software Modeler, or Rational Systems Developer. In addition, you'll need a copy of Visual Studio 2005. You can download trial versions of these products:

• Rational Modeling Extension for .NET
• Rational Software Architect
• Rational Software Modeler
• Rational Systems Developer

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Table of contents

• Before you start
• Importing a Visual Studio 2005 solution into Rational Modeling Extension for .NET
• Visualizing C# code elements
• Working with source code and incremental development
• Traceability features provided by the .NET Visualizer
• Harvesting visualized elements
• Downloads
• Resources
• About the authors

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Rational Modeler is a free, UML 2.1 based environment that helps users to improve communication by specifying, visualizing and documenting their system, architecture and software designs using a standard graphical language.

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• Try: Download a Rational Modeler, a free, UML 2.1 based environment for specifying systems, software, and architecture.
• Buy: Rational Modeler Rhapsody Corporate Edition

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