Enterprise Patterns and MDA: Building Better Software with Archetype Patterns and UML

This book is a great book to prevent your organization to suffer from the "not invented here syndrome". Why try to determine what properties there are for specific business objects, when others have already tried and tested this hundreds of times?Time and money saver.

Nominally, this book presents "archetype patterns", using UML and an extended case study. The archetype idea, intermediate between a general design pattern and a specific application, is a valuable one. In the case study, it's a set of business meta-objects, operations, and organizing principles. In presenting the archetype abstraction, those objects are spelled out in enough detail to create a useable framework for routine business needs. The archetype mechanism is also spelled out in great detail, almost wholly within the UML framework. By itself, this won't be enough to convince any UML doubters about UML's flexibility. Taken as one among many UML applications, however, it's very compelling. It's also the first reference I know that gets down to cases in applying MDA - an interesting view. I fault the technique for only two things. First is a slight dependence on a specific CASEproduct, ArcStyler. That reliance never turned all the way into an advertisement, so I'll let it pass. Second is a baffling section on "rules." The rules and rule mechanisms make sense, but inexplicably seem to re-create the features of the OCL. Two extras make this presentation very attractive. First is the mention of "literate programming," tying the UML tool suite to user documentation and design documentation. They specifically note XML and DocBook, existing standards, as the vehicle for integrating prose and technical parts of the model. Bravo! Even if their LP tools are weak, use of the idea is a real strength. The second extra is a pervasive awareness of standards. Money is phrased in terms of ISO 4217, nations in terms of ISO 3166, books in terms of ISBNs (ISO 2108), and on and on. Far too few programmers realize how many of their software requirements are already spelled out in external standardslike these, so the consciousness-raising exercise is a good one. This is an excellent resource, not just for its business objects and not just for its UML case study. The author treat even personal names (table 4.4) with more care than I've seen anywhere else - that care pervades the whole book, and is a lesson in itself.//wiredweird

Very Helpful.

This book is a great resource for common data patterns. We plan to use these patterns in all future programming.

Content so good