Rapid modeling of class attributes and relations

[VBcasualty]

I'm trying to introduce UML with EA at our company. Yet my boss is shy to learn all details of UML notation. Furthermore, he'd like to model his thoughts in a fast way.

What he needs is one diagram/program that would enable him to define the classes with their attributes and their relations in a fast way like a mind mapping tool but with additional capabilities.

A class diagram seems as the diagram type of choice. But is there any easier or faster way to model the very basic attributes and relations?  

[qwerty]

Go to the pharmacy and get him a pill...

q.

[salayande]

or you can go to the Sparxsystems community web site, download an Excel application that enables import of classes and attributes. Your manager may populate this spreadsheet and you may then import the objects..

[Eve]

A class diagram can be extremely fast to jot down ideas.

Turn off displaying properties on element creation (Tools | Options | Objects | Edit Object on New)

Ctrl+right click is a nice shortcut for creating an element. Once a class is created, Ctrl+Click on the background creates a new class. In either case, when the properties dialog isn't shown you are immediately editing the class name.

Select (or create) a class.
Press Ctrl+Shift+F9.
Type a name (and optionally a type).
Ctrl+Enter accepts and starts a new attribute, Enter just accepts.

Create links by dragging the arrow icon from one class to another.
F3 repeats the last connector.

[qwerty]

I was inspired by Euclid who told king Ptolemy there is no royal road to geometry. The same applies for modelling. If you're looking for a fast way: go to the pharmacy and buy a knowledge pill.

q.

[RoyC]

Well, no. I have not found an effective knowledge pill yet (though there are several that seem to rob me of knowledge).

The best options seem to be: 1) do what Neil suggests; or 2) go to a bar, drink lots of alcohol, and start expounding the vast quantities of knowledge you now seem to have amazingly acquired. Sadly, employers do not seem to appreciate this method of overcoming ignorance, and require you to be sober in the workplace. Being sober seems to make you lose your mental encyclopaedia, so you are back to square 1. Or option 1, rather.

[KP]

The best options seem to be: 1) do what Neil suggests

It was SimonM doing the suggesting, not me. Doing what I suggest is rarely a good idea!

Neil

[qwerty]

Maybe Roy actually meant what he wrote. So the question: what could that have been?

q.

[RoyC]

As I said, being sober in the workplace tends to rob you of that fine edge of mental acuity and visionary thought, such as "Who said that?" So it IS a good idea to do as Neil suggests and verify your references, but it is also an excellent idea to do as SIMON says - after all, the children of many countries are taught a simple game to reinforce that concept.

Edit: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_says