The goal of this specification is to enable a smooth and seamless exchange of documents compliant to the UML standard (in the following referred to as UML models) between different software tools.
While this certainly includes tools for
developing UML models, it also includes tools such as whiteboard tools, code generators, word processing tools, and
desktop publishing tools. Also, special attention is given to the Internet as a medium for exchanging and presenting UML models.
Although a mechanism for exchanging UML models had been specified for UML 1.x using XMI, namely the XML
Metadata Interchange, (in the following referred to as XMI[UML]), this mechanism did not fully fulfill the goal of a model interchange.
Foremost, it did not include the exchange of diagram information. This mechanism was only capable of transporting information on what elements are contained in a UML model but not the information on how these elements are represented and laid out in diagrams. Thus, if a UML model is stored in one UML tool and then loaded in a
different UML tool (or even the same tool) using XMI[UML], all diagram information is lost.
This limitation is not due
to XMI itself but instead to the fact that the UML metamodel does not define a standard way of representing diagram definitions.
The solution proposed extends the UML metamodel by a supplementary package for graph-oriented information while leaving the current UML metamodel fully intact. Moreover, it is compliant with the upcoming UML 2.0 metamodel and should also be unaffected by any subsequent changes to the UML metamodel. An MOF-compliant metamodel for UML diagram information is provided as extension to the UML metamodel, allowing the DTD for the XMI to be extended. The resulting XMI can then be used to exchange UML models between various tools without information loss.
To assure the exchange to tools that do not have a notion of model elements but of lines, text, and graphics, a transformation mechanism from XMI to SVG is provided. SVG is an XML-based format for scalable vector graphics that has been adopted as a W3C Recommendation. Well-suited to express any diagram of the UML, it will be a commonly used format for a wide variety of tools (graphical, desktop publishing, etc) and was created to be fit for the web.
In combination with a tighter definition of XMI[UML] in RFPs for Infrastructure and Superstructure for UML 2.0, this
specification will make a smooth and seamless exchange mechanism for UML models available.
The FTF needs to review and complete this section.
There are no optional compliance points for the Diagram Interchange. o be compliant with Diagram Interchange means to
be compliant to its abstract syntax, well-formedness rules, semantics, notation, and XMI schema.