For installation instructions, see install.md

Basic Tool: PlantUml (http://plantuml.sourceforge.net/) is an UML-Tool which enables a description of UML diagrams via text. PlantUml itself is distributed under the GPL license and is also available as eclipse plugin (http://plantuml.sourceforge.net/eclipse.html)

Problem: The eclipse plugin itself provides no further support during the modelling or syntax highlighting.

Solution: This is an early alpha plugin plantuml-eclipse providing a basic highlighting, outline support and content assistance.

plantuml-eclipse features:

• Sequence Diagram:
  • Basic syntax highlighting
  • Content assistance (plantuml keywords, connection between named elements)
  • Outline support (eclipse view "outline" or shortcut "ctrl-o")
• Component Diagram:
  • Basic syntax highlighting
  • Content assistance (plantuml keywords, connection between named elements)

plantuml-eclipse limitations:

• Some possible plantuml commands are missing --> Errors in Eclipse but no limitation during usage
• Currently more support for sequence diagrams (Feedback welcome!)
• Partial support for component diagrams (Feedback welcome!)
• Plantuml keywords must be typed in UPPERCASES! (e. g. PARTICIPANT....)
  • Necessary to differ between normal descriptions and keywords
  • Alternative could be an own lexer (Could be a possibility I found after some research but I have no idea how to - Some experience welcome!)

Technical plantuml-eclipse background information:

• xtext as source
• maven to build
• jenkins to deploy update site - perhaps the url will change!
• Reporting bugs:
  • Latest Version?
  • Example plantuml code (small!) or steps to reproduce the bug
  • Observed (buggy) behaviour
  • Expected behaviour

plantuml-eclipse usage:

• Installation instructions described in the install.md (you should run the maven build for instance)
• It is also possible to install the plugin in eclipse after a successful build
  • "Help->Install New Software..."
  • Enter URL/Path to the updatesite (/plantuml.eclipse.updatesite/target/repository/)
  • Select all packages and proceed.
• Restart eclipse after successful installation
• Create an empty project
• Create file ".puml"
  • be aware about the suffix ".puml", this will connect the editor to the plantuml-eclipse supported view
• Start UML description:
  • Start description of a sequence diagram: "SEQUENCE @startuml @enduml "
  • Start description of component diagram: "COMPONENT @startuml @enduml "
• Use "ctrl-space" for possible commands in the section
  • supports the uppercase typing!
  • sequence and component commands should be available - appropiate to the choosen start description

Basic examples: SEQUENCE @startuml PARTICIPANT test PARTICIPANT test2 test -> test2 PARTICIPANT "fo\n123l l" AS lol PARTICIPANT "fooLong" AS foo foo --> lol foo <-- lol foo <- lol [<- lol @enduml