Re:UML is useless (Score 5, Interesting)

But I do know one thing that you must internalize: If it doesn't execute, automatically, it won't be kept up to date.

I'm on a project that is using Executable and Translatable UML (xtUML) for developing embedded firmware. The target is an 8-bit microcontroller.

Our software process involves doing an extensive requirements analysis phase. Next, we break the problem down into domains, which are further anaylyzed. Finally, we begin work on the class models and state models.

The xtUML methodology includes precise semantics, which allow it to be directly translated into C using off-the-shelf compilers. Or, you can be brave and write your own model compiler to directly translate your models into the target assembly.

There is some high-level action specification language code which is written for the state actions and instance based operations, but besides that, no coding is required.

Check out this site for some xtUML information: http://www.projtech.com/