Hi Tom,

I support most of what Michiel says. The key point is what do you want to
achieve?

2 would seem to be a migration path to 3, and I certainly see the value in
focusing ArgoUML developer effort on the core function and not the plumbing.

Also from a newbie perspective, have you raised the barrier of entry in
terms of installation?:

- find and download the right version of Eclipse
- find and download the ArgoUML plugin
- cross fingers...

>From an impartial perspective I would also question how important this
(seemingly large complex) change is compared to other outstanding bugs and
feature requests?

I notice that the voting in the buglist doesn't seem to get used much. If it
did, it would probably help with informing the last point :o(

HTH?

Regards,

Graham.


-----Original Message-----
From: Michiel van der Wulp [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: 19 May 2006 17:00
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [argouml-dev] Eclipse integration levels for ArgoUML

Hi Tom,

Which ArgoUML users will benefit from Eclipse intergration?

> 1. Basic integration 

IIUC, then this benefits ArgoUML users that use ArgoUML for code 
generation, in combination with the Eclipse IDE, and use reverse 
engineering to keep de diagrams up to date with code changes.
Hmm,... I do not know if we have many such users - but these few will 
like it.
If this would cover AndroMDA integration, too, then it may have a better 
chance.


> 2. Basic GUI integration

In addition of the above benefit, there is a certain UI similarity, that 
may aid learning ArgoUML, and integration may ease working with both 
Eclipse and ArgoUML at the same time. The advantages above 1. are rather 
vague here.
Non-Eclipse users are absolutely not helped.


> 3. Eclipse/RCP framework for ArgoUML infrastructure

Initially, for the user there is not much added benefit above 2, except 
that it all may look nicer and work more similar. ArgoUML for a 
non-Eclipse-user will become a more heavy application, with a lot more 
possibilities, but steeper learning-curve.
For the developers, this is a major improvement, since ArgoUML may use 
all functionality of Eclipse, like widgets, panels, menus, undo, 
installation, etc. Since there will be more time to concentrate on the 
core functionality of ArgoUML, it will gradually improve, which then 
benefits the users - even the ones that otherwise do not use Eclipse..


Personally, in my professional life, I do not program, and hence do not 
use an IDE (such as Eclipse). But still, I use ArgoUML a lot to create 
diagrams, which I then paste in Doors (which does not work too well BTW).
I must admit, most ArgoUML users will be programmers (too), but I have 
the impression many users only use it for analysis, design and 
documentation. If that is true, then ArgoUML would benefit by 
integration with e.g. OpenOffice :-).

3 would make ArgoUML better for all users in the long term, except...

We should not neglect a large part of our user-base, i.e. the beginners!
Many people that start experimenting with UML, do not inmediately spend 
a lot of money to buy RRose, but start playing with ArgoUML.
And for these people learning Eclipse is not going to be as easy as 
learning (the current) ArgoUML.

Regards,
Michiel

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