<p>There are many. UML is only one organisations attempt at creating a collection. Some of UML is useful, some is in there because committee members had a product to sell, some is only sometimes useful.</p>
<h2>Some alternatives</h2>
<ul>
<li>BON Business object notation. Bon is good, BON is a notation for object oriented programming. It was originally part of Eiffel. It is designed to be reversible, with out loss. Eiffel ←→ BON.</li>
<li>And may others: I mainly use:
<ul>
<li>pipe-line diagrams.</li>
<li>layer diagrams.</li>
<li>custom, domain specific, diagrams.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h1>Creating diagrams fast</h1>
<p>However your question seems to be about speed.</p>
<p>Gone are the days where we had to create complex designs and then hand compile to machine code. Now we have high-level languages. A lot of what can be expressed in UML, can more easily be expressed in your chosen programming language.</p>
<p>Therefore use diagrams where they are useful, then go straight to programming. If you need UML diagrams, because your management, teacher, or exam board, insist on them, and you can not convince them of their error, or replace them. Then use a tool such as doxigen to convert your source code into UML diagrams.</p>

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2017-11-21T15:25:06.603Z
2017-11-21T15:25:06.603Z
2020-06-18T08:36:57.023Z
ctrl-alt-delor
<p>I found by studying computer science that there are UML diagrams. I found them useful but sometimes too slow to draw. Is there some alternatives to UML that does the same but is easy to type for example to mail. I do not mean  something like LaTeX-code that one can compile to diagrams but something similar as we have in mathematics where all Euclidean geometry shapes has a rigorous definition.</p>

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2017-11-21T15:49:53.063Z
I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because it is not about teaching or learning: it is not a question about how to teach or learn (although it is something you are learning, one could say this about any question) Consider asking the question on one of our other sites. Such as stack-overflow. However if it can be reworded, answers could be useful to a teacher teaching a programming project.
ctrl-alt-delor
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2017-11-21T16:33:52.690Z
@ctrl-alt-delor Just out of curiosity: why answer a question if you think it should be closed?
Kevin Workman
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2017-11-21T17:37:15.857Z
@KevinWorkman I first answered it, then later realised (while going for a walk) that it was off topic. If you or someone else can rewrite, then it may be on topic.
ctrl-alt-delor
<documentation>
Is there a textual alternatives to UML diagrams?
# Is there a textual alternatives to UML diagrams?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-11-21)

I found by studying computer science that there are UML diagrams. I found them useful but sometimes too slow to draw. Is there some alternatives to UML that does the same but is easy to type for example to mail. I do not mean something like LaTeX-code that one can compile to diagrams but something similar as we have in mathematics where all Euclidean geometry shapes has a rigorous definition.

**Tags:** documentation

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because it is not about teaching or learning: it is not a question about how to teach or learn (although it is something you are learning, one could say this about any question) Consider asking the question on one of our other sites. Such as stack-overflow. However if it can be reworded, answers could be useful to a teacher teaching a programming project.  
> **username_2**: @username_1 Just out of curiosity: why answer a question if you think it should be closed?  
> **username_1**: @KevinWorkman I first answered it, then later realised (while going for a walk) that it was off topic. If you or someone else can rewrite, then it may be on topic.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2017-11-21. Score: 1

There are many. UML is only one organisations attempt at creating a collection. Some of UML is useful, some is in there because committee members had a product to sell, some is only sometimes useful.

## Some alternatives

* BON Business object notation. Bon is good, BON is a notation for object oriented programming. It was originally part of Eiffel. It is designed to be reversible, with out loss. Eiffel ←→ BON.
* And may others: I mainly use:
  + pipe-line diagrams.
  + layer diagrams.
  + custom, domain specific, diagrams.

# Creating diagrams fast

However your question seems to be about speed.

Gone are the days where we had to create complex designs and then hand compile to machine code. Now we have high-level languages. A lot of what can be expressed in UML, can more easily be expressed in your chosen programming language.

Therefore use diagrams where they are useful, then go straight to programming. If you need UML diagrams, because your management, teacher, or exam board, insist on them, and you can not convince them of their error, or replace them. Then use a tool such as doxigen to convert your source code into UML diagrams.


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