TABLET UML NEWS June 2003

Wow!; TechEd; Bad News First; Other News; Beta List; Forward This Message

This is a newsletter for Tablet UML, the UML® Tool You Don't Have to Learn! Tablet UML is a Tablet PC® application that allows you to build UML models in a natural fashion: by drawing with a Tablet PC.

• Wow!
• TechEd
• Bad News First
• Other News
• Beta List
• Forward This Message

Wow!

Greetings! Yesterday, I discovered an unexpected -- but VERY welcome -- flurry of visits to http://www.TabletUML.com, along with a pleasingly large number of sign ups for TABLET UML NEWS. I had more visits in the first three days in June than in the entire history of this site, and more than my consulting site (http://www.MartinLShoemaker.com) had in the month of May. (If anyone can tell me how the word is getting out, I'd appreciate it. I owe someone a big "Thank you!")

So I'm taking time out from my duties at Microsoft® TechEd to get the June edition of TABLET UML NEWS out the door quickly, and try to keep your interest. (Many of you also wrote with specific questions or comments. I'll address those this week, after I put TABLET UML NEWS to bed. Thanks in advance to all of you!)

TechEd

And speaking of TechEd: if you happen to be at Microsoft TechEd in Dallas this week (June 2-6, http://www.microsoft.com/usa/teched/home.asp), visit the Expo Area and come to the Richard Hale Shaw Group booth (#476) and ask to see a Tablet UML demo. The Richard Hale Shaw Group (http://www.RichardHaleShawGroup.com) is the consulting agency which books my UML training and consulting services, and I'm working the booth this week (while Richard, the lucky dog, is teaching a .NET class in Sweden this week, and Switzerland next week -- or maybe vice-versa). I'll be demonstrating Tablet UML to those who are interested. Maybe you'll also see the chihuahua next door...

Bad News First

Bill Gates is famous for saying he wants the bad news first. That's the news that needs the most immediate action; and that's also the news people tend to ignore or bury until it becomes a REAL problem. So the good news can wait. (He's also famous for being extremely dismissive of people who don't know all they should about a problem and can't answer his questions. The combination of this and "bad news first" must drive up antacid sales in Redmond...)

I like this approach. I figure if I'm up front and honest with any problems, you won't have unrealistic expectations. And I hope you'll also know that when I give you GOOD news, you can believe it.

So in TABLET UML NEWS, I'll try to lead with any bad news: delays, setbacks, etc. I won't paint a gloom-and-doom picture, but I won't hand you rose-colored glasses, either. The good news will follow.

So here's the Bad News First for June:

• As I've been adding to the Tablet UML features, I broke the serialization somehow. It can save models right now, but it can't load. This is Bad News #1: I won't be sending out any beta software until I get this one fixed!
• You can't reuse elements of the model in other diagrams yet.
• Printing is still rough. It prints, but some of the text labels aren't lined up well.
• There's no support yet for dashed dependency arrows and other dashed lines.
• There's no support yet for selecting, moving, resizing, or otherwise editing diagram elements.
• There's no support yet for manual recognition (i.e., you select an arbitrary set of ink strokes and tell Tablet UML that these are a new stereotype of an existing UML element type).
• There's no support yet for deleting from the model.
• There's no support yet for undo.
• There's no support yet for drawing attributes or operations on classes or interfaces.
• There are a lot of text input fields that aren't ink-enabled yet.
• There's no support yet for scrolling and zooming.
• There's only rudimentary support for the following UML diagram types: sequence, collaboration, activity, package, and state. Right now, these are just sketch diagrams, with no recognition features.
• The help files are in a state of disarray, and need to be cleaned up and fleshed out a lot. (Not that you'll need a lot of help. Remember: Tablet UML is the UML tool you don't have to learn!)

Also, there's no support for diagram clean-up: the way you draw an element is the way that element looks. With clean-up, your hand-drawn elements will be replaced with precise machine-drawn icons. This isn't really bad news: it's a conscious decision. Read the Tablet UML Introduction white paper (available below) for why I think "natural" diagrams have to be a higher priority than "clean" diagrams. Clean-up is on the TODO list, but there are a lot of other features ahead of it.

And then there's not bad news, but simple a dose of reality: Tablet UML is only at version 0.7. There are some features you would find useful -- heck, some I would find useful -- that won't make the cut for version 1.0. Some won't even make 2.0, and some won't ever make the cut. The good news is: in the next TABLET UML NEWS, I'll have a survey to let you help define the priority features. I'm trying to serve your interests, after all, so that means I need your feedback.

Other News

Now that the bad news is out of the way, we can move onto the good news:

• Use case diagrams are implemented.
• Component diagrams are implemented.
• Class diagrams are implemented (with limitations as above).
• Deployment diagrams are implemented.
• Sketch diagrams are implemented.
• All diagrams and notes now support a wide range of pen properties: color, transparency, and various sizes of round, square, and rectangular pens. (The pen selection dialog is implemented via a .NET custom control, available for use in your .NET/Tablet PC applications. Contact me for more information.)
• Erasing works. In notes, it erases sections of strokes. In diagrams, it erases whole strokes. (I'll be interested in feedback to see if this approach makes sense.)
• All diagrams now support notes. This is probably the least obvious part of the user interface: since the UML note icon is cumbersome to draw (and easily confused with other diagram elements), I chose to use a five-pointed star gesture to indicate that you want a note. When you draw a star on a diagram, Tablet UML replaces it with a note icon and lets you edit the note. If you want a small note, draw a small star. For a larger note, draw a larger star.
• Printing may be rudimentary, but it works.
• Each model element has a corresponding detail page, where you can view its properties and also add ink notes to describe it.
• The model hierarchy works, and is easily navigable.

There's lots of other good news, but I need to get this TABLET UML NEWS out the door, so I can get back to TechEd. To keep up with the latest Tablet UML news, join the Beta List.

Beta List

If you haven't yet joined the Beta List and you want to keep receiving TABLET UML NEWS and join the beta test program, here are the steps:

1. Visit http://www.tabletuml.com/BetaSignUp.aspx to register.
2. I'll send a welcome message (and maybe the latest issue of TABLET UML NEWS). This message is to confirm that you're really interested in Tablet UML. (I don't want to be guilty of spam.)
3. Reply to the welcome message and confirm that you're interested.
4. I'll subscribe you to TABLET UML NEWS. I'll also send you the Tablet UML Introduction white paper (which describes the vision and current status of Tablet UML) and a Beta Test Non-Disclosure Agreement.
5. Fill out the NDA, and FAX it back as described in the instructions.
6. I'll send you the latest beta version of Tablet UML, along with a beta test ID, password, and instructions for beta testers.
7. Help me! Send me feedback. Send me complaints. Send me bug reports. Send me feature requests. Send me samples of your Tablet UML models. Send me comments I can use on my Web site.
8. When Tablet UML 1.0 is released, you'll receive free a fully licensed copy in appreciation for your feedback.

If there are any questions about this process, please contact me.

Forward This Message

I'm always happy to spread the word about Tablet UML. If you know anyone who would be interested in TABLET UML NEWS, please feel free to forward this message to them.

Due diligence

UML® is a registered trademark of the Object Management Group. Tablet PC® and Microsoft® are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

UML® is a registered trademark of the Object Management Group.
Tablet PC®, Microsoft Office®, and Microsoft .NET® are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
PayPal® is a registered trademark of PayPal, Inc., an eBay Company.

Copyright © 2005 by Martin L. Shoemaker.
All rights reserved.