Profile (UML)

A profile (Engl. Profile ) is both a model element of the Unified Modeling Language (UML), a modeling language for software and other systems, and on the other a concrete extension of the UML 2 metamodel based on the lightweight extension mechanism of the profiles. The term UML profile is often used for the latter , for example the UML profile for Enterprise JavaBeans .

UML profiles are created for special application domains . They represent the basis of model-driven architecture and other model-driven software development approaches by enabling the formalization of domain models.

description

Notation example for a profile

A profile is represented as a package with the keyword «profile».

A profile is a specialization of package and comprises two types of elements:

a lot of stereotypes , that is, elementary extensions of the UML2 metamodel
a lot of package imports for packages from the metamodel of UML2

The decisive elements of a profile are the elementary extensions of the UML2 metamodel, see stereotype .

Apply profiles

Example of the application of two profiles to one model

Profiles are generally on packages, but mostly on models , as a specialization of package applied . The profile application is a specialization of the package import , it therefore establishes a special dependency relationship between a package and a profile. The dependency is twofold. First, the package imports all of the elements from the profile. For example, if the profile defines an enumeration type Farbe, the package can use -type Farbeas the attribute . Second, the package can use all stereotypes that are defined in the profile.

A profile application is drawn as a dashed line with an open arrowhead on the side of the profile. It differs from other dependency relationships by the keyword «apply».

Examples of UML profiles

The UML 2.0 Superstructure Specification defines four UML profiles for industry standards in the area of software components, namely one UML profile each for modeling Enterprise Java Beans (EJBs), .NET components, components of the Component Object Model (COM) and finally of components of the Corba Component Model (CCM).

Web links

Stefan Queins, Chris Rupp : Profiles help when working with UML. Computerwoche , March 1, 2006, accessed November 6, 2011 .

Individual evidence

↑ Software & Systems Process Engineering Metamodel Specification (SPEM) Version 2.0. Retrieved November 6, 2011 .

[1] Software & Systems Process Engineering Metamodel Specification (SPEM) Version 2.0. Retrieved November 6, 2011 .