TinyUml

TinyUml is an easy-to-use Java-based application with a very clear goal: it allows you to create UML 2 diagrams by resorting to some basic tools. It does not integrate complex features or configuration settings, so it can be handled even by those less experienced with such software.

There is no setup pack involved, which makes TinyUml portable. As long as you have Java installed on the computer, you can drop the program files in any part of the hard disk and simply launch the JAR file.

There is also the possibility to save the tool to an external removable device, in order to run it on any PC easily. Plus, unlike most installers, it does not modify Windows registry settings or create additional files on the disk without permission, leaving it clean after removal.

The interface consists of a regular window with a neatly organized layout, where you can use basic drawing tools to create diagrams. You can insert packages, classes, components, dependencies between objects, associations, aggregation, composition, inheritance, interface realization and notes, as well as connect notes.

The objects can be resized, edited and deleted, as well as sent to the back or brought to the front. Models can be saved to file and resumed at a later time, and exported to SVG or PNG format. Undoing and redoing actions is possible. Plus, you can zoom in and out, hide the grid, disable snap to grid, as well as redraw the model.

We have not experienced any stability issues in our tests, since TinyUml did not hang, crash or pop up error messages. As expected, it has minimal impact on PC performance, since it runs on low CPU and memory. Although it is not feature-rich, TinyUml offers a simple solution to drawing UML 2 diagrams.