[Gllug] the guardian on the attack (again)

[Nix]

On Tue, 20 Dec 2005, Aaron Trevena stipulated:
> Actually UML is bloody useful even without any objects..
> 
> UML includes not only Class::Diagrams but..
> use cases (also available in new lo-calory eXtreme Programming flavour
> under a different name)
> state diagrams
> sequence diagrams
> data flow diagrams
> 
> which are fundamental to good analysis and design of any nontrivial project

*Any* nontrivial project? Oh yes, absolutely, witness the number of
nontrivial free software projects that are using it (not `none', but a
very small percentage).


I just don't believe that they are `fundamental'. I tried drawing state
transition and dataflow diagrams (using UML notation) for GCC once. Lost
track, gave up. The notation was a big stumbling block, but perhaps that's
just 'cos I haven't used it enough.

I'll agree that state, sequence and dataflow graphing is *useful* to get
to grips with especially complicated subsystems, but whether the UML
notation adds anything to a simple dag-with-labelled-nodes-and-edges is
debatable.

So if they're `fundamental' then either the Linux kernel and GCC and
PostgreSQL, say, are `trivial' or they're not well designed, in your
view. Right?


(... ok, so GCC has some ugly sides to it. But that's not bad design,
it's historical rot.)

-- 
`I must caution that dipping fingers into molten lead
 presents several serious dangers.' --- Jearl Walker
-- 
Gllug mailing list  -  Gllug at gllug.org.uk
http://lists.gllug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/gllug