The UML

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The Unified Modelling Language (UML) is a standard language for
specifying, visualizing, constructing, and documenting the artefacts
of software systems, as well as for business modelling and other non-
software systems. The UML represents a collection of best engineering
practices that have proven successful in the modelling of large and
complex systems.1 The UML is a very important part of developing
object oriented software and the software development process. The
UML uses mostly graphical notations to express the design of software
projects. Using the UML helps project teams communicate, explore
potential designs, and validate the architectural design of the
software.

The primary goals in the design of the UML were:
- Provide users with a ready-to-use, expressive visual modelling
language so they can develop and exchange meaningful models.
- Provide extensibility and specialization mechanisms to extend the
core concepts.
- Be independent of particular programming languages and development
processes.
- Provide a formal basis for understanding the modelling language.
- Encourage the growth of the OO tools market.
- Support higher-level development concepts such as collaborations,
frameworks, patterns and components.
- Integrate best practices.