ClassDraw

Coding an application nowadays usually means using an object-oriented language, such as C# or Java. Objects constitute the most important parts of a modern program, since they can be customized down to the finest details and reused throughout the project with minimal modifications.

ClassDraw enables you to create diagrams using the well-known Universal Machine Language format, which, as the name implies, is universally recognized and used around the world.

The main component of an UML diagram is a class, which is sort of an object in itself. The class contains the name, attributes and functions of an object, all of which can be manually added by you into the application. You can also include the stereotype and the base class, if what you are creating is actually derived from another, more general class.

Relationships act as ways to link classes together, for situations where one or more classes depend or are derived from other, related objects. ClassDraw enables you to enter details such as role name, multiplicity and symbol for every such relationship that you include in the diagram.

One of the major benefits you get by using ClassDraw is that it creates the diagram layout automatically and you do not need to arrange and link the objects by hand. This, as previously mentioned, is a great advantage, but it can also be a bit of a drawback, since you have to take what you get and be happy with the default positioning decided by the application.

You can, however, modify the esthetics of the diagram, by choosing the desired relationship line type, as well as the preferred text font and colors.

Although lacking in customization options, ClassDraw is a powerful utility with many advantages over the manual drawing of UML diagrams. The automatic layout creation can be an upside or a downside, depending on the situation, but overall, the application does its job well and can greatly speed up the process as a whole.