Page title:Introduction

Caption:The Rational UML modeling tools enable you to work closely with your development projects in the Microsoft Visual Studio IDE.

Page text:Welcome. This tour offers you an overview of the tools and features for C# modeling and transformations in IBM Rational Modeling Extension for Microsoft .NET.

Creating and using C# transformations eases software development by promoting best practices in design, documentation, and creation of C# code.


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Page title:Importing .NET Solutions

Caption:Use the .NET Solution Import wizard to import the Visual Studio solution that will serve as a target for generated code. The wizard provides options for the import of existing projects, code, and referenced assemblies. You can use the context-sensitive help to assist you with any questions about the available options.

Page text:Integrate closely with Microsoft Visual Studio by importing a .NET solution that consists of C# projects. This imported solution provides a view from your Eclipse workspace to your C# source code and referenced CTS (Common Type System) elements, and it serves as a target for C# code that you generate from your UML modeling projects.

You can visualize the imported solution elements in a variety of read-only diagrams for analysis and documentation of the current system.


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Page title:Creating UML Modeling Projects

Caption:A UML modeling project is created, the model is selected in the Project Explorer, and then the C# profile is applied to the model.

Page text:Create a UML modeling project to contain your conceptual models, transformation configuration files, and other project elements. Optionally, apply the C# profile to your model to provide C# stereotypes you can use to develop code models.

After you capture the design of your application in UML models, you can run a UML-to-C# transformation to generate C# code for further development with Microsoft Visual Studio.


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Page title:Creating C# Transformation Configurations

Caption:A folder named Transformations is created in the modeling project. A new C# transformation is created in the folder by clicking File > New > Other, expanding Tranformations, and then clicking Transformation Configuration. On the next page of the wizard, the configuration name is typed and UML to C# transformation is selected. On the third page of the wizard, a model is selected in the tree view as the source. The .NET solution is selected as the target of the transformation. Defaults are accepted, and then Finish is clicked and the configuration is complete.

Page text:A transformation configuration contains the information that the transformation uses to generate the output that you specify. A transformation configuration also contains information that is specific to a particular type of transformation, such as a unique name and the source and target of the transformation.

Use the Transformation Configuration editor to define a C#-to-UML or UML-to-C# transformation.


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Page title:Applying C# Transformations

Caption:The transformation configuration file is right-clicked and a UML-to-C# transformation is initiated. The transformation generates code at the target location for the source UML model defined in the configuration.

Page text:Once you develop new components using UML models and diagrams, apply your transformation configuration to generate C# code. Transformations also generate a C# code model from the UML model and support later code-to-model reconciliation.

To apply a C# transformation, right-click the transformation configuration file, click Transform, and then select the applicable transformation.


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Page title:Reverse Transformations

Caption:To enable model-to-code reconciliation for a C# transformation, click Enable reverse transformation on the Main page of the transformation configuration editor.

Page text:You can apply a C# code-to-model transformation in order to reconcile code that has been under development with an existing model or, alternately, to create a new conceptual model of your application.


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Page title:C# Transformation Documentation

Caption:The context-sensitive help for pages in the Transformation Configuration editor are displayed by pressing F1. The product Help window is opened, and navigation to C# transformation help is demonstrated.

Page text:The forward and reverse C# transformation process and tools are documented, and you can open C# transformation and .NET visualization topics in the help system of your Rational UML modeling products.


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Page title:Summary

Caption:Perform all of your C# modeling using the .NET perspective, which includes a selection of windows and tools customized for .NET modeling. You design your applications using UML conceptual models, and you can incorporate read-only visualized code elements in a mixed-modeling approach. Model-driven development goes beyond traditional modeling, by using models not just as sketches or blueprints of a system, but as specifications from which corresponding implementations can be partially or fully generated. Instead of generating an implementation manually, model-driven development automates significant portions of the work and enables more reuse, which can increase consistency and introduce fewer defects into the code base.

Page text:Benefits of using .NET modeling and transformation features: