No abstract

Different approaches support the construction of software by representing certain aspects of a system graphically. Recently, the UML has become common to provide software designers with tools, in which they can create visual representations of software interactively. But the UML is intended to be drawn on two-dimensional surfaces. Our approach extends UML into a third and fourth dimension in a way that we can place both static and dynamic aspects in one single view. By this, we can show behavior in the context of structural aspects, instead ofdrawing different diagrams for each aspect with only loose relation to each other. We also use the third dimension to emphasize important things and to place less interesting things in the background. Thereby, we direct the viewer's attention to the important things in the foreground. Currently, UML shows dynamic behavior by diagrams which do not change and axe therefore static in nature. In sequence diagrams, for example, time elapses from the top of the diagram to the bottom. We point out that behavior is better visualized by animated diagrams where message symbols move from the sender object to the receiver object. Our approach supports the creation of a system as well as the communication of its dynamic processes especially to customers. K e y w o r d s :