About UWE
An approach based on standards
The UWE approach provides a domain specific notation, a model-driven development process, and tool support for the engineering of Web applications. The characteristic of UWE is the fact to be an approach based on standards which is not limited to the use of the "lingua franca" UML but also uses XMI as a model exchange format, MOF for meta-modelling, the model-driven principles of the MDA approach, the model transformation language QVT, and XML.
The main reasons for using the extension mechanisms of the UML instead of a proprietary modelling techniques is the acceptance of the UML in the development of software systems, flexibility for the definition of a Web domain specific modelling language: a so-called UML profile, and wide visual modelling support by existing UML CASE tools.
UWE uses "pure" UML notation and UML diagram types whenever possible for the analysis and design of Web applications, i.e. without extensions of any type. For the Web specific features, such as nodes and links of the hypertext structure, the UWE profile includes stereotypes, tagged values and constraints defined for the modelling elements. The UWE extension covers navigation, presentation, business processes and adaptation aspects. The UWE notation is defined as a "lightweight" extension of the UML.
Overview of the UWE models:
(UMLet source file of this image)
The UWE design approach for Web business processes consists of introducing specific process classes that are part of a separate process model with a defined interface to the navigation model. To model adaptive features of Web applications in a non-invasively way, UWE uses techniques of aspect-oriented modelling (AOM). Following the separation of concerns principle UWE proposes to build an adaptive model for personalized or context-dependent systems and weave the models afterwards.
Example for a Navigation Diagram: (more examples in the Model Examples section)
Computer aided design using the UWE method is possible using MagicUWE, a plugin for MagicDraw. (Further downloads can be found on the download page.)
For more information about UWE, please have a look at the UWE-Tutorial and at several articles in the "Publications" section: