For several years now, there has been a constant increase in the number of works
on UML and object modelling. However, my practical experience of training (more
than a thousand or so people trained in OMT, then UML since 1993…) convinced
me that there is still another need that is not tended to by the multitude of books
available at the moment: a book of marked exercises. In fact, during the seminars
that I lead, I am devoting more and more time to discussion sessions with trainees
on the compared merits of such or such modelling solution. Furthermore, I am
firmly convinced that these interactive discussions on concrete topics have a far
more lasting impact for them than the theoretical presentation of the subtleties of
UML formalism!
This led me to form an extensive database of exercises, the majority of which
have been taken from current or past training courses offered by the company of
Valtech. I also drew my inspiration from core books, which have helped me to
further my own knowledge of this subject, in particular that of J. Rumbaugh on
OMT1 (one of the first to suggest giving exercises after each introductory chapter on
a topic) and the best seller of C. Larman2 on object-oriented analysis and design.
It is this educational material, based on hours of enriching discussions with
trainees from all backgrounds and abilities, that I would like to share with you
today. From their questions and suggestions, they compelled me to take into
account the most diverse points of view on the shared problem of modelling, as
well as improve my argumentation and sometimes to envisage new solutions, to
which I had not given any thought at all!