Importing Source Code

Topic

Detail

See also

Usage

Reverse Engineering in Enterprise Architect enables you to import existing source code as a single directory or a directory structure, in a variety of code languages, into a UML model; it helps you to examine, for example, the functionality of code libraries for reuse, or to bring the UML model up to date with new code from outside the model, as part of a process called synchronization.

The code structures are mapped into their UML representations: for example, a Java Class is mapped into a UML Class element, with the variables being defined as attributes, methods modeled as operations, and interactions between the Java Classes represented by the appropriate connectors.

Examining the code in a UML model helps you to identify the critical modules containing the code, providing a starting point for understanding the business and system requirements of the existing application and enabling the developers to gain a better overall understanding of the source code.

Several options are available for performing reverse engineering, including:

For further information, see the Source Code Options topic.

It is important to note that if a system is not well designed, simply importing the source into Enterprise Architect does not turn it into an easily understandable UML model.

When working with a poorly designed system it is useful to assess the code in manageable units by examining the individual model packages or elements generated from the code; for example, dragging a specific Class of interest onto a diagram and then using the Insert Related Elements option at one level to determine the Class's immediate relationship to other Classes.

From this point it is possible to create Use Cases that identify the interaction between the source code Classes, enabling an overview of the application's operation.

Import Source Code

Import a Directory Structure

Source Code Options

Insert Related Elements

Copyright Ownership

Situations that typically lend themselves to reverse engineering tend to operate on source code that:

If you are examining code that you or your organization do not own or do not have specific permission to copy and edit, you must ensure that you understand and comply with the copyright restrictions on that code before beginning the process of reverse engineering.

Topic

Link

Action Script

ActionScript

Ada 2005 (Systems Engineering and Ultimate editions)

Ada 2005

C

C

C#

C#

C++

C++

CORBA IDL (MDG Technology )

www.sparxsystems.com/resources/mdg_tech/

Delphi

Delphi

Java

Java

PHP

PHP

Python

Python

SystemC(Systems Engineering and Ultimate editions)

SystemC

Verilog (Systems Engineering and Ultimate editions)

Verilog

VHDL(Systems Engineering and Ultimate editions)

VHDL

Visual Basic

Visual Basic

Visual Basic .NET

Visual Basic .NET