Product extensibility

The extensibility capabilities provided of Rational® UML modeling products use additional plug-ins, related extension points, and application programming interfaces (APIs) to build on top of the Eclipse features.

Modeling API

These Rational products offer pluglets, which can extend the workbench without creating a formal plug-in.

You can use the Modeling APIs to create and manipulate models and profiles. The API is based on the Eclipse Modeling Framework Technologies (EMFT) transaction and validation technologies, the UML metamodel and the Graphical Modeling Framework (GMF). For more information about the Modeling APIs, see the online help for the API and the extension-point reference material.

Note: Some platform plug-ins for Rational products platform plug-ins were moved to the Eclipse open-source platform and the required namespace changes were implemented.

The Patterns API describes the patterns framework, which you use to apply patterns to a set of model elements. This API supplements the pattern authoring and application capability that the modeling products provide. For more information about the Patterns framework, see the online help for the patterns API and extension-point reference material.

You can create transformations, or implement or extend the transformations that are available in the Rational UML modeling products. The Transformations API describes the transformation framework, which transforms a model into another model, or into a metamodel. For more information about the transformation framework, see the online help for the transformations API and the extension-point reference material.

The Compare and Merge API describes a framework for working with models that multiple users modified simultaneously. This framework provides the necessary API to perform a compare-and-merge operation, and also provides extension points that augment the framework to recognize custom model content. For more information about the compare-and-merge framework, see the online help for the API and the extension-point reference material.

You use the RAS API to manipulate assets that conform with the Reusable Asset Specification, which provides functionality that builds on the RAS capabilities in the modeling products. For information about extending the RAS environment, see the "Extending the RAS environment" topic. For information about working with RAS assets, see the online help for the RAS API and the extension-point reference material.

Pluglets are Java applications that provide an alternative to plug-ins for extending the workbench. Similar to plug-ins, pluglets provide access to the APIs that are associated with plug-ins, and pluglet authors can use the Java development environment. However, you can test the pluglet in the same instance of the workbench and a menu item is created that runs the pluglet that you create. For more information about pluglets, including a tutorial and samples, see the "Extending your Java environment with pluglets" topic in the online help.

The Pluglets API exposes the properties and services that pluglets use. For more information about the Pluglets API, see the online help for the API and the extension-point reference material.

The Rational UML modeling products continue to provide full support for using, creating, and extending standard Eclipse plug-ins. To find sample Eclipse plug-ins that you can import, click Help > Help Contents > Samples and expand Technology samples. For examples of other plug-ins for Rational UML modeling products, click File > New > Example, expand Examples, and expand UML Modeler Plug-ins.


Feedback