Recovering UML Class Diagram from Java Source Code

Abstract

Recovering the static structure of legacy source code is important in program understanding. A complex system can be simplified by a model exposing only some aspects of the system. In this system, we apply one of the most modeling methodologies named unified modeling language (UML). It is a language for visualizing, specifying, constructing, and documenting the artifacts of a software intensive system. The mind finds it easier to work with a graphics than with a long list of complex instructions. This paper presents a simple but effective approach that convert Java code to Extensible Markup Language (XML), then to an UML diagram. Using this approach we intended to develop a CASE tool for reverse engineers by combining both Java and XML technologies. In this system XML document are used to store program information (parse result). This system provides to produce generalization and realization relationship only. So, we can easily rearrange, sort, or otherwise modify the information to gain the UML model more precisely.