UML ITS
The UML ITS (Release 2 thereof) is a proposal for a new ITS which aims to ease the implementation burden for v3 artefacts. This is achieved by simplifying the on-the-wire format as well as using UML based models which can be used for code generation. Note that this proposal has not yet met the ITS Acceptance Factors.
The intent of this page is to give a high level overview of the proposed new UML ITS. Considerations, open questions, and comparisons with other approaches won't be described in any detail. See the UML ITS Proposal v0.6 for a status report on the project that is driving the UML ITS.
Summary
The Goal of the new ITS is to be able to go to an implementer and offer them a "thing" they can use, an implementable model. The implementable models (the product of the transformation described by the ITS in the form of UML + schema) will be normative. The UML ITS will include explicit transformations to address implementation concerns, e.g. to use an on the wire format that is as minimalistic as possible. The output of the ITS can also be used for cde generation.
The UML ITS has 2 parts.
- A technical infrastructure for making wire formats easier to implement. See UML ITS Technical for details.
- Transformations applied to the V3 concepts from RIM Based Models (RBMs) to implementable models to most suit implementors. This is an optimalization process. See UML ITS Policy for details.
The technical infrastructure applies whichever transformations are chosen to assist the implementers.
History
The UML ITS is a non-linear development of the existing UML Object Definition, and solves a number of problems that were identified in the first release that prevent either further linear development, or implementation.
The work for the UML ITS is being sponsored by the UK CfH project in the hope that the UML ITS can address a number of the implementation issues that the NHS has identified.
Related Work
The proposal has associated proposals for related issues.
- Data Types R2 issues: The datatypes R2 issues will largely need to be cleaned up in order to actually publish the UML ITS
