%0 Journal Article %1 wong06 %A Wong, Kenny %A Sun, Dabo %D 2006 %I Springer %J Software Quality Journal %K cites.ucot humanities.communication humanities.psychology research.conceptual.uml research.ir.visualization %N 3 %P 233--259 %R 10.1007/s11219-006-9218-2 %T On evaluating the layout of UML diagrams for program comprehension %U http://www.springerlink.com/content/xl5xvt6005854901/ %V 14 %X UML class and sequence diagrams are helpful for understanding the static structure and dynamic behavior of a software system. Algorithms and tools have been developed to generate these UML diagrams automatically for program understanding purposes. Many tools, however, often ignore perceptual factors in the layout of these diagrams. Therefore, users still have to spend much time and effort rearranging boxes and lines to make the diagram understandable. This article presents key criteria and guidelines for the effective layout of UML class and sequence diagrams from the perspective of perceptual theories. Two UML tools are evaluated to illustrate how the criteria can be applied to assess the readability of their generated diagrams.

@article{wong06, abstract = {UML class and sequence diagrams are helpful for understanding the static structure and dynamic behavior of a software system. Algorithms and tools have been developed to generate these UML diagrams automatically for program understanding purposes. Many tools, however, often ignore perceptual factors in the layout of these diagrams. Therefore, users still have to spend much time and effort rearranging boxes and lines to make the diagram understandable. This article presents key criteria and guidelines for the effective layout of UML class and sequence diagrams from the perspective of perceptual theories. Two UML tools are evaluated to illustrate how the criteria can be applied to assess the readability of their generated diagrams.}, added-at = {2008-03-31T14:09:43.000+0200}, author = {Wong, Kenny and Sun, Dabo}, biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/20133a58ec572ad5c9171aeab8ee6baa4/msn}, citeulike-article-id = {809522}, comment = {- somewhat facile article. Uses previously generated criteria, mainly gestalt theory, to assess UML layout alg. of two tools. Essentially, the tools are shit. Any diagrams over 10 classes in size look terrible. But then so do human created diagrams. - take away for me was that UML isn't very useful at large scales where large > 10. - has anyone studied this idea?}, description = {From CUL on Sept 16}, doi = {10.1007/s11219-006-9218-2}, interhash = {b1ec414a7b62d4324991635dd3802424}, intrahash = {0133a58ec572ad5c9171aeab8ee6baa4}, journal = {Software Quality Journal}, keywords = {cites.ucot humanities.communication humanities.psychology research.conceptual.uml research.ir.visualization}, month = {September}, number = 3, pages = {233--259}, priority = {0}, publisher = {Springer}, timestamp = {2009-06-25T15:59:12.000+0200}, title = {On evaluating the layout of UML diagrams for program comprehension}, url = {http://www.springerlink.com/content/xl5xvt6005854901/}, volume = 14, year = 2006 }