%0 Journal Article %1 eichelberger2009guidelines %A Eichelberger, Holger %A Schmid, Klaus %D 2009 %J Information and Software Technology %K ClassDiagram OOM ObjectOrientation UML %N 12 %P 1686-1698 %R https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infsof.2009.04.008 %T Guidelines on the aesthetic quality of UML class diagrams %U https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0950584909000421 %V 51 %X In the past, formatting guidelines have proved to be a successful method to improve the readability of source code. With the increasing success of visual specification languages such as UML for model-driven software engineering visual guidelines are needed to standardize the presentation and the exchange of modeling diagrams with respect to human communication, understandability and readability. In this article, we introduce a new and encompassing taxonomy of visual guidelines capturing the aesthetic quality of UML class diagrams. We propose these guidelines as a framework to improve the aesthetic quality and thus the understandability of UML class diagrams. To validate this claim, we describe in detail a controlled experiment carried out as a pilot study to gather preliminary insights on the effects of some of the guideline rules on the understandability of UML class diagrams.

@article{eichelberger2009guidelines, abstract = {In the past, formatting guidelines have proved to be a successful method to improve the readability of source code. With the increasing success of visual specification languages such as UML for model-driven software engineering visual guidelines are needed to standardize the presentation and the exchange of modeling diagrams with respect to human communication, understandability and readability. In this article, we introduce a new and encompassing taxonomy of visual guidelines capturing the aesthetic quality of UML class diagrams. We propose these guidelines as a framework to improve the aesthetic quality and thus the understandability of UML class diagrams. To validate this claim, we describe in detail a controlled experiment carried out as a pilot study to gather preliminary insights on the effects of some of the guideline rules on the understandability of UML class diagrams.}, added-at = {2024-03-17T12:56:14.000+0100}, author = {Eichelberger, Holger and Schmid, Klaus}, biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/2541b5d1cd225d5a4d29bed4ac44cf917/stefan.strecker}, description = {Guidelines on the aesthetic quality of UML class diagrams - ScienceDirect}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infsof.2009.04.008}, interhash = {ee8575ec69a393b90eaddccee541fd8f}, intrahash = {541b5d1cd225d5a4d29bed4ac44cf917}, issn = {0950-5849}, journal = {Information and Software Technology}, keywords = {ClassDiagram OOM ObjectOrientation UML}, note = {Quality of UML Models}, number = 12, pages = {1686-1698}, timestamp = {2024-03-17T12:56:14.000+0100}, title = {Guidelines on the aesthetic quality of UML class diagrams}, url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0950584909000421}, volume = 51, year = 2009 }