Visual Model software applications
Note:Some features may not be available in the publicly used visual Studio. netβ2 version.
Customers who build complex distributed applications face the challenge of successfully communicating application architecture and need to span multiple team members. This challenge has become more complex for loosely structured XML Web services. It is known at home that concepts and information in multiple formats-visible, sound, written-can increase the ability of people to understand messages quickly and accurately. Use this multiple format method for communication, Visual Studio. NET helps train team collaboration and productivity by providing a rich set of visual model tools for describing application architectures and requirements.
Industrial Standard Method
Visual Studio. NET supports a wide range of design and model activities, including the free charting capabilities of Visio and an industry-standard unified Model language (UML) diagram, which is a concept that describes and interprets the parts, relationships, and activities that make up a software application.
Take advantage of visual Studio. NET modeling features, users can create complex diagrams to describe their application structure and enterprise requirements in detail, and to communicate with their teams. Business analysts, architects, developers-and others who perform analysis and design tasks to increase communication between development teams and increase productivity-can take advantage of these new features. The following example shows how the structure of a software system is done by using visual Studio. NET creates a software model that is visually and efficiently communicated.
Application Example: Car rental software system
This example discusses how 8 UML chart types model the software system of a car leasing agency. From three simple usage scenarios, the example captures the core process of the system.
using Event Tables
The use of the case table shows the interaction between the user and the system, where the user can achieve a goal. A typical software system can contain a number of simple usage cases. Systems that can be applied to leasing institutions include:
- Customer Booking Car
The customer must make an appointment before obtaining a car. The customer contacted the leasing agency and made a request. The leasing agency accepts or rejects requests based on some criteria, such as whether the car exists or the customer's lease history. How to make an appointment is accepted and the leasing agency completes the form containing the customer details. The reservation is completed after the deposit is delivered.
- Customers get the car
When the customer arrives at the leasing agency, the leasing agency assigns a certain type of car to the customer's request according to the current inventory level. After paying the full fee, the customer receives the car.
- Customer return car
On the date specified on the lease agreement, the customer will return the car to the leasing agency.
The following graphic depicts the use event table for three use events.
Figure 1. Simple use of event tables
static structure (Class) diagram
The task below is to categorize the objects involved and their relationships. Checking usage events helps identify categories. Using static structures, or classes, to display diagrams of the overall structure of the system, and relationships and behavior properties, you can model objects ' classes.
In the class diagram, the objects involved in the car leasing system are divided into different classes. Each class contains a name section and an attribute section. Some classes also contain an action section that indicates the behavior of objects in a class.
In the customer, the attribute includes the name, telephone number, driving license and address. The date of birth is required to determine whether the customer meets the minimum age requirement for the leased car. Customer class also stores operations, appointments.
Class diagrams support inheritance. For example, in the following figure, the mechanic and rental agent classes inherit the attributes of employee, such as name and address.
Figure 2. Static structure or class diagram
Sequential Chart
A sequential chart provides a detailed view of the use of events. It shows the interaction in chronological order and helps document the application's logic. Shows the parties involved and the messages passed between them. In an integrated software system, sequential charts can be quite detailed and can contain thousands of messages.
Suppose a client wants to make an appointment for a car. The leasing agency must first check the customer's record to ensure that it can be leased. If a customer has previously rented a car from a company, his or her lease history will be recorded and the agency needs to ensure that all previous transactions are well run. For example, an organization needs to confirm that a customer's previously rented car can be returned on time. Once the customer's lease is approved, the leasing agency can approve the lease appointment. This process can be expressed in a sequential chart, as shown in the following figure.
Figure 3. Sequential chart
Collaboration Diagrams
A collaboration diagram is another type of interaction diagram. Like a sequential chart, it shows how a group of objects in an event can collaborate with another group. Each message is marked with an ordinal number to show the order in which it occurred.
Figure 4. Collaboration Chart
Status Chart
The state of an object is determined by the attributes of a moment. Objects are converted between different states under the influence of external stimuli. State diagrams Map these states and trigger events that cause the objects to be in a specific state. For example, in a leasing system, the object is a car. When a car is transferred in a leasing system, its state generates a complex but descriptive chart. For example, it first rolls into the convoy. It has been in a instock state until it was leased. After the lease was over, the car returned to the convoy and entered the Instock state. At different times of its commercial life, cars need to be repaired (inservice). When the car arrives in the service period, it is sold or broken down to produce a new car.
Figure 5. Status chart
Activity Chart
The activity diagram shows the logic corresponding to the activity that occurred. Activity diagrams are related to a particular class or use event, showing the steps involved in performing a particular action.
Figure 6. Activity Chart
Component Diagrams
The component diagram shows the different software subsystems that make up the entire structure of the system, built on a central database that contains past lease records, car details, service records, customer and employee details. It is important that the data be concentrated in a database because inventory levels change by the hour, and all parts must have detailed information that is accurate to minutes. Keeping the data up to date requires that all parts of the information be updated. The software subsystem for this example includes car records, service records, sales records, customer records, and employee records.
Figure 7. Component diagrams
deployment Diagram
The deployment diagram shows how the software and hardware in the system are configured. The leasing agency needs a client/server system that is accessible to employees with a central database. The leasing agency needs access to the existing vehicle data. At the same time, the Organization should be able to mark a particular car as being in a inservice state.
Figure 8. Deployment diagram
Free Model
Many customers also need to add other graphic elements to their UML diagrams in their application model. Because Visual Studio. NET contains a model tool based on Visio, so it supports free modeling, such as flow charts or other non semantic diagrams, and it can include any picture in a model. This provides flexibility for customers to communicate with their application architecture and functionality. The close integration of Visio with other Microsoft Office applications enables the development team to share visual Studio with Word and e-mail. NET-generated models and graphs.
Summary
In the lifecycle of an application, people of different technical backgrounds need to interact and contact to successfully complete the common goal of creating a new application. Visual Studio. NET provides key features-industrial standard software models and rich free charting capabilities-for describing and communicating with structs. Customers use these features to communicate effectively among development teams, resulting in increased developer productivity and success in software projects in the organization.
