Reviews for UML Demystified

1. Not very Demystified at all

   Rated 2 out of 5 stars, May 12st, 2008

   I don't like this book and for me it doesn't do what it claims.
   If you want a book that simply explains the use of the different aspects of UML (use cases, activity diagrams etc) and when you'd use each one and what detail you can have this is not the book for you.
   
   I don't like the fact that the author states that UML is language free and then applies it to VB or that he talks you through how he creates the models in a certain tool or what companies he worked for and the projects he was in charge of or what hobbies he has. I just want to know about the UML.
   One of the reasons I chose this book was that it had a quiz at the end of each chapter which I thought would help me but its less about the use of UML and more to check you've read the chapter.
   Another thing I really hate is that the diagrams associated with the text are very badly placed. The text will refer to a diagram but the diagram might not appear until the next page and after the text has moved on to talk about something else even when the diagram could easily have fitted in just after the relevant text. And also very confusingly is that some of the diagrams are wrong and do not reflect the text. Not good for learning at all.

2. A gentle introduction, with a practical emphasis

   Rated 5 out of 5 stars, July 12th, 2007

   This is most definitely a book for users of UML rather than theorists. It starts gently with basic use case diagrams and progresses from there - it's a very shallow learning curve with a minimum of extraneous theoretical detail. If you're looking for an academic treatise, this isn't it - but if what you need is a rapid and painless introduction to UML with an emphasis on using it in practical sitations, you could do a lot, lot worse than this.

3. Because there's more to life than UML...

   Rated 4 out of 5 stars, April 12th, 2006

   Purists won't approve but I love this book. Of all the UML books out there, this is by far the most accessible, practical and useful. What's more, it comes in at a light 200-or-so pages.
   
   If you're looking for a tome that dissects the minutae of UML, this book is not it - nor does it claim to be. But if you, like me, recognise the need for UML (or UML-based principles) in designing an application but have neither the time, resource nor inclination to read 800+ pages of dry text, this is perfect.
   
   The book is aimed at developers who need to produce useful, workable UML diagrams in a reasonably short amount of time as a *means to an end* - not UML for UML's sake.
   
   As the author correctly points out, "you don't have to be an English teacher to communicate effectively... you don't have to know every detail about the UML to use it effectively". To some, this borders on heresy and if you feel that way, this book certainly isn't for you. It's not an encyclopaedic treatment of UML and I have no doubt it glosses over certain details. However, it does one thing very well - it teaches the jobbing-programmer enough about UML (or UML-principles) to plan their project intelligently.
   
   Of course, software development requires careful planning but some UML books - in my opinion - go too far, creating diagrams so convoluted and detailed that they defeat their original purpose - namely creating a development model that people will read, follow and find useful.
   
   This book recognises that coders only need to know enough to do their job and it doesn't pretend otherwise. I believe it's the correct approach: programmers plan intelligently and then program; leave the overblown UML diagrams and theory to the "project managers".