Unified Modeling Language

The Unified Modeling Language (UML) is a general-purpose, developmental, modeling language in the field of software engineering. UML is used to provide a standard way to show what the design of a system looks like.

UML was originally developed to standardize the different notational systems and approaches to software design. It was developed by Grady Booch, Ivar Jacobson and James Rumbaugh at Rational Software in 1994–95, with further development led by them through 1996.

In 1997, UML was adopted as a standard by the Object Management Group (OMG), and has been managed by this organization ever since. In 2005 the Unified Modeling Language was also published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) as an approved ISO standard.

There are different types of diagrams, which serve different purposes:

That way, business analysts can agree on the design of a system, for example by showing use-case diagrams
Software developers can show activity diagrams, to expalin what the software does at a given moment, or how a certain operatio is structured.
System engineers can rol out the software, and describe their work in a deployment diagram.

UML is mostly about diagrams, and finding a common language to describe these diagrams.

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