Manual / Introduction

Introduction

Welcome to the Gaphor!

Gaphor is a UML modelling application written in Python. It is designed to be easy to use while not substituting completeness, that is, Gaphor implements a fully-compliant UML 2 data model. You can use Gaphor to quickly visualize different aspects of a system as well as create complete, highly complex models.

Gaphor is designed around the following principles:

  1. Consistency. UML is a graphical modelling language, so every aspect should be represented in a diagram1.
  2. Simplicity. The application should be easy to use. Only some basic knowledge of UML is required.
  3. Workability. The application should not bother the user every time (s)he does something non-UML-ish.

This manual serves as a reference for all Gaphor as to offer. So, you may read it from start to finish, or jump to a section that interests you.

1. We take this quite literally: even stereotypes are modelled in diagrams.