Basic Tool: PlantUml (http://plantuml.sourceforge.net/) is an UML-Tool which enables a description of UML diagrams via text. PlantUml itself is distributed under the GPL license and is also available as eclipse plugin (http://plantuml.sourceforge.net/eclipse.html)
Problem: The eclipse plugin itself provides no further support during the modelling or syntax highlighting.
Solution: This is an early alpha plugin plantuml-eclipse providing a basic highlighting, outline support and content assistance.
plantuml-eclipse features:
- Sequence Diagram:
- Basic syntax highlighting
- Content assistance (plantuml keywords, connection between named elements)
- Outline support (eclipse view "outline" or shortcut "ctrl-o")
- Component Diagram:
- Basic syntax highlighting
- Content assistance (plantuml keywords, connection between named elements)
- Class Diagram:
- Basic syntax highlighting
- Content assistance (plantuml keywords, connection between named elements)
- Outline support (eclipse view "outline" or shortcut "ctrl-o")
- Validators (various model consistency checks)
- Quick fixes (mostly for errors issues by validators)
plantuml-eclipse limitations:
- Some possible plantuml commands are missing --> Errors in Eclipse but no limitation during usage
- Good support for class diagrams (Feedback welcome!)
- Currently more support for sequence diagrams (Feedback welcome!)
- Partial support for component diagrams (Feedback welcome!)
- Plantuml keywords must be typed in UPPERCASES! (e. g. PARTICIPANT....)
- Necessary to differ between normal descriptions and keywords
- Alternative could be an own lexer (Could be a possibility I found after some research but I have no idea how to - Some experience welcome!)
Technical plantuml-eclipse background information:
- xtext as source
- maven to build
- jenkins to deploy update site - perhaps the url will change!
- Reporting bugs:
- Latest Version?
- Example plantuml code (small!) or steps to reproduce the bug
- Observed (buggy) behaviour
- Expected behaviour
plantuml-eclipse usage:
- Installation instructions described in the install.md (you should run the maven build for instance)
- It is also possible to install the plugin in eclipse after a successful build
- "Help->Install New Software..."
- Enter URL/Path to the updatesite (https://cooperate-project.github.io/updatesite/snapshot/)
- Select
Puml SDK Featurein thePlantuml Eclipse Language category.
- Restart eclipse after successful installation
- Create an empty project
- Create file ".puml"
- be aware about the suffix ".puml", this will connect the editor to the plantuml-eclipse supported view
- Start UML description:
- Start description of a sequence diagram: "SEQUENCE @startuml @enduml "
- Start description of component diagram: "COMPONENT @startuml @enduml "
- Start description of component diagram: "CLASS @startuml @enduml "
- Use "ctrl-space" for possible commands in the section
- supports the uppercase typing!
- sequence and component commands should be available - appropiate to the choosen start description
Basic examples: SEQUENCE @startuml PARTICIPANT test PARTICIPANT test2 test -> test2 PARTICIPANT "fo\n123l l" AS lol PARTICIPANT "fooLong" AS foo foo --> lol foo <-- lol foo <- lol [<- lol @enduml