Profile (UML)

A Profile (English profile ) is both a model element in the Unified Modeling Language ( UML), a modeling language for software and other systems. In addition, a concrete extension of the UML2 meta-model based on the lightweight extension mechanism of the profiles. Here often the term UML profile is used. Example: UML Profile for Enterprise JavaBeans.

UML profiles are created for specific application domains. They represent the basis of the Model Driven Architecture and other model-driven software development approaches by allowing the formalization of domain models.

Description

A profile is presented as a package with the keyword « profile ».

A profile is a specialization of package and includes two types of elements:

The critical elements of a profile are the elementary extensions of the metamodel of UML 2, see stereotype.

Apply profiles

Profiles are usually but models as a specialization of package generally applied to packets. The application profile is a specialization of the package import, so they established a special dependency relationship between a package and a profile. The dependence consists in two ways. First, the package imports all the elements from the profile. If the profile, for example, creates an enumeration color, the package can use color as an attribute type. Second, all the stereotypes that are defined in the profile to use, the package.

An application profile is drawn as a dashed line with an open arrow on the side of the profile. It differs from other dependency relationships with the keyword « apply ».

Examples of UML profiles

The UML 2.0 Superstructure Specification defines four UML profiles for industry standards in software components, each a UML profile for the modeling of Enterprise Java Beans ( EJBs ). NET components, components of the Component Object Model (COM ), and finally of components of the CORBA component Model (CCM).