After 3 years of research and development, GenMyModel draws the future of software modeling. GenMyModel is a free browser hosted UML tool for developers and software architects. Its main strength: create UML compliant models online and generate code. Unlike the well known desktop alternatives, it allows you to work on any web browser and from any computer with any OS (Windows, Linux, macOS).
GenMyModel has been released in beta in 2013. It supports for now class and use case diagrams and works with GitHub to host the generated code. You can try GenMyModel here GenMyModel Online UML Tool.
Using the App
Log in & create a UML project
The application itself is available at this address: http://app.genmymodel.com/. First thing you see is the connection window where you can sign in with your Google account or sign up with another mail address.
Once you are logged in, you discover your dashboard where you have the choice to create a new project or use one of the existing templates below. When you create a new project, you can then set a title and choose between a public or private project. When you open a project, a new tab appears above for you to easily switch between your class and use case
diagrams.
Creating class and use case diagrams
When you create a new project, it instantly opens a tab for class diagrams, but you can choose in the File menu to make new use case diagrams.
The vertical toolbar between your whiteboard and the project explorer shows you the different tools to create classes, interfaces, add attributes, make associations and more. For example, if you select the class tool or press ‘C’ (the underlined letters being keyboard shortcuts), you can place a class anywhere on your whiteboard. You can also add several elements at a time by holding Ctrl
You can then select one or more elements and move them on your whiteboard, rearrange links or set a few properties. Same thing goes for use case diagrams.
Change the model properties
The bottom left corner of the application groups all the properties you need for the elements you selected. This way, this small window allows you to set names, types, visibility, multiplicity, comments and a few other settings.
Those possibilities change according to your selection on your whiteboard or the project explorer.
Code generation and push to GitHub
Generate Java and SQL code
GenMyModel provides code generators:
- Java Beans
- JPA Beans
- Spring Data REST application
- Spring Roo
- SQL
There are two ways to generate code: with the ‘Tools’ menu or by right-clicking on your model. You can then choose between a direct generation creating a ZIP file with Java, Java JPA or SQL code, or configuring your own saved configuration allowing you to push to your GitHub repositories.
Push to GitHub
If you are a GitHub user, you can push your generated code to the hosting service. In the code generation configuration window, you just have to type your repository URL and the branch you would like to send your code to. The first push can take a while, but it is quite fast afterwards.
Report, image and model export
Export to image and XMI
GenMyModel allows you to export you models to image files in JPEG or SVG, or export to XMI. You can choose either format by right-clicking or with the ‘Tools’ menu.
Export documentation to PDF
You can also export the documentation of your models to a PDF file. Resulting in a document with images of your diagrams and the list of every element and its properties.
Share by email
Sharing to social network is planned for the next few months, in the meantime you can share your work by email with the same menu.
Web description for public projects
When creating a project within GenMyModel, you can choose between the public and private options. Private means only you can see and modify the model. Public means you are the only one allowed to modify it but anyone can fork it.
Web pages are automatically created for public projects so that you can share and show what you design. Examples: Class Diagram University Management System
What’s next
The next major release before October 2013 will include:
- Realtime collaboration
- Java Reverse engineering
- Package support for class diagrams and use case diagrams
Technology
GenMyModel is built upon JavaScript and HTML5.