XAML, ZUL, MXML, LZX and others - EA experience ?

[JohnDoe]

Hello,

more and more web application frameworks appear such as "Flex", "ZK", "OpenLaszlo" and others. These frameworks describe the UI using XML strutures. Every language has its XSD, so a language independent grammer check is possible (validate XML against XSD).

Since I love to use EA for modeling, I would like to construct my MXML/ZUL/LZX/XAML-applications using EA diagrams: Describing the UI using nested XML-elements, describing the backend functionality using Java/Python/C++/etc.-Classes and describing the frontend/backend communication using sequence diagrams (SOAP and RPC communication).

Has anyone done a similar project using EA ?

Best wishes Bernd

[JohnDoe]

Is there no one creating web applications using an UML tool ?

Bernd

[salayande]

Hi Bernd,

EA supports web application modelling through a UML profile based on Jim Conallen's profile.

EA supports the development of application screens. What sparxsystem is yet to do is to create transforms of the screen objects to some of the XML standards you have listed.

The EA community will appreciate any contribution you can make in this respect. I had made recommendations to the company developing an EA-AddIn called Screen Architect to implement these a few months ago. There has been no new versions of the Add-In so I can only suppose that their product has not gained traction in the market.

My expectations of Sparxsystems is that they would support the generation of JSP and ASP for form-based application development.

This will enable EA users use the product from architecture to implementation (round-trip engineering).

It is a shame that after a few years in business, we cannot generate a complete web application from UML specifications specified in EA.

I am urgently looking for people to create a bridge from EA to two products to enable complete application generation:

1. Pega (Pegasystems)
2. CodeCharge (Yes software)
3. Visual Prolog (PDC)

The future of application development is model-driven complete solution generation. EA is not yet there (even though its marketing literature suggests MDA). The Sparxsystems product strategy of  distributing application generation capabilities that should exist in the core EA product across multiple Add-Ins which boosts revenue on a short term may backfire on the longer term.

kind regards

Segun

[JohnDoe]

Hi Segun,

I fully agree with your opinion concerning XML languages. IMHO, EA should go for this business opportunity and offer a XML generation option to create XML elements from UML diagrams, even if a new modelling toolbox would be necessary.

While all these XML languages are based on their individual XSD syntax files, it easy to validate the XML files and to reverse engineer sources. Meanwhile there are so many dialects out there, that there it is the time and big huge market for a well-thought tool, which moves these dialects seamlessly to UML.

Best wishes
Bernd