MetaUML

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Definition

MetaUML is a GNU GPL MetaPost library for typesetting UML diagrams, using a human-friendly textual notation. Currently (nov 2008) it offers support for class diagrams, package diagrams, activity diagrams, state machine diagrams use case diagrams and component diagrams.

MetaUML can be used to:

• Create UML diagrams readily usable in a LaTeX article or book.
• Create independent PDF-s
• Create jpeg-s, png-s etc.
• Insert UML diagrams in Mediawikis (provided that the extension is installed)

This page is for people who don't mind to draw by writing code. If you are looking for a simple drawing program to draw UML diagrams (or quasi UML diagrams), see the Unified modeling language, e.g. have a look at the free Dia program.

Examples

Some drawing that uses empty classes and notes

The following was copied from the Extension:UML page

Activity diagram

State diagram

Using the MediaWiki extension

Using the MetaUML uml tag in a mediawiki is quite tricky. The only way to figure out errors is to install this software locally (or log on to your wiki server machine) and then test like this. E.g code like this:

 <uml redraw>
 Fork.forkA("h", 100);
 Fork.forkB("v", 20);
 leftToRight(10)(forkA, forkB);
 drawObjects(forkA, forkB);
 </uml>

goes into a xxx.mp file like this:

input metauml;
beginfig(1);
 Fork.forkA("h", 100);
 Fork.forkB("v", 20);
 leftToRight(10)(forkA, forkB);
 drawObjects(forkA, forkB);
endfig;
end

Then, type in a console:

mpost xxx.mp

Installation notes for MetaUML and Mediawiki extension for Solaris

Installing the necessary software requires some installation skills. Here are my (rough) installation notes

Step: Make sure that latex, dvips, gs (ghostscript), and convert (ImageMagick) installed and available in the PATH. Depending on how the system is installed, this also means to fix the path of the Apache webserver.

It probably would be a good idea to install livetex, but since I found I binary for (older) teTex I went with this. texTex in /opt/sfw wasn't correctly installed. Got a new version from http://www.sunfreeware.com/. This package installs in /usr/local

gunzip tetex-3.0-sol10-sparc-local.gz
pkgadd -d tetex-3.0-sol10-sparc-local

teTex now should be installed and there is some postinstall work to do

• Add /usr/local/teTeX/bin/sparc-sun-solaris2.10 to the path.
• Configure

texconfig conf

Step: Install texvc (maybe not needed). This is a standard Mediawiki script to render Latex math fragments.

• It's already in the mediawiki distribution
• Read: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texvc and compile.

Step: Get the MediaWiki extension

http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:UML

Step: Fix some configuration variables. Some documentation on variables is here:

• http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Manual:Configuration_settings

You have to make sure that all these variables are defined:

$wgUseTeX	    = true;
$wgMathPath         = "{$wgUploadPath}/math";
$wgMathDirectory    = "{$wgUploadDirectory}/math";
$wgTmpDirectory     = "{$wgUploadDirectory}/tmp";
$wgImageMagickIdentifyCommand="/usr/local/bin/identify";
$wgImageMagickConvertCommand = "/usr/local/bin/convert";
$wgDvipsCommand="/usr/local/teTeX/bin/sparc-sun-solaris2.10/dvips";

Step: Install MetaUML, UML for LaTeX/MetaPost

• Get the archive from http://metauml.sourceforge.net/
• Decompress
• Copy files into /usr/local/teTeX/share/texmf-dist/metauml
• texhash

Links

• MetaUML home page (sourceforge). Includes a manual and examples
  • PDF manual