The Unified Modeling Language Reference Manual

The authors have done an outstanding job with this UML book. The definitions of the terms are the best I have seen. The organization and material in the encyclopedia are fantastic!
-Perry Cole, MCIWorldCom

The Unified Modeling Language (UML) has rapidly become the standard notation for modeling software-intensive systems. This book provides the definitive description of UML from its original developers--James Rumbaugh, Ivar Jacobson, and Grady Booch. Whether you are capturing requirements, developing a software architecture, designing the implementation, or trying to understand an existing system, this is the book for you.

The majority of the book is a unique alphabetical list of articles covering every aspect of UML in a form convenient for quick reference and detailed study. This format permits full coverage of UML details as well as high-level articles without confusing the reader by constant shifts in level. The first part of the book--a complete summary of UML concepts organized by subject area--provides an introduction to UML for the newcomer as well as entry points into the detailed articles.

Highlights of the book include:
Two-color diagrams, extensively annotated
Thorough coverage of both semantics and notation, separated in each article for easy reference
Further explanations of concepts whose meaning or purpose is obscure in the original specifications
Discussion sections offering usage advice and additional insight into tricky concepts
A hyperlinked version of the book in Adobe Reader format on CD-ROM, an excellent resource for browsing or searching the text for specific information
Full text of the UML specification documents on CD-ROM, courtesy of the Object Management Group
Notation summary, with hyperlinks to individual articles on CD-ROM