UModel is a UML tool for software modeling and application development. By its general nature, UML is a complex set of models that can be used to describe and design software. For that reason, UML is something that is loved or hated depending on your point of view on the topic of application design modeling. UModel was developed with the interest of making the UML process easier.

The version of Umodel 2008 that I am reviewing is the Enterprise version. There is also a Professional version available. If you would like to view the differences, you can check out the feature comparison list over on the Altova site.

What is UModel? It is a graphical modeling designer that will allow you to visually design application models in UML and generate Java, C#, or Visual Basic .Net code, and project documentation. It will also allow you to reverse-engineer existing programs into UML 2 diagrams, fine tune them, and then regenerate the updated code.

While the UML is a complete modeling language, but it does not discuss the methodology for the development, code generation, and round-trip engineering process. Therefore UModel has been designed to allow you the maximum flexibility during these processes.

So what's new with UModel 2008?

• Support for OMG Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN) – now gives you the ability to draw business processes in a workflow. BPMN diagrams are understandable by all business stakeholders such as analysts, developers, managers. This is one of the standards maintained by OMG, the administrators of UML.

• Diagram Layers – these are new in this version. This is a feature that works like the layers functionality that is present in many graphics applications and is supported by a new layers helper window. This will let you create and control layers in any diagram type. Each element can be assigned to a different layer, and layers can be made invisible, as well as have the ability to be locked to prevent changes.

• Enhanced auto-completion capabilities – will help in the creation of operations and properties for classes. An auto-completion window automatically pops up after the user types an operation or property name within a class. Selections can be filtered to include primitive types, data types, enumerations, as well as class, interface, or datatype templates.