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.uml vs. .xmi [message #476958]

Wed, 20 February 2008 21:36

Eclipse User

Originally posted by: pfuriani.uci.edu

Hello. I know that .uml file extensions and .xmi file extensions are both
used to represent a UML diagram. What is the difference between the two?
Don't they both follow the same xmi format anyway? Why have two extension
names for the same thing? Can someone please explain this? Thank you.

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Re: .uml vs. .xmi [message #476973 is a reply to message #476958]

Fri, 22 February 2008 14:35

Kenn Hussey

Messages: 1620
Registered: July 2009

Senior Member

These file extensions don't really mean anything - they're just conventions.
What's important is what the content type of a resource (file) actually is.
In UML2 we us the convention that a .uml file represents a resource in UML2
format (UML elements from the open source metamodel, serialized using XMI
2.1 syntax) and a .xmi file represents a resource in "official" OMG format
(UML elements conforming to the OMG specification, serialized using XMI 2.1
syntax). The differences between the two are subtle - for the most part, it
has to do with how Ecore annotations are serialized (since they're not
officially supposed to be part of the UML metamodel).

Kenn

"PFuriani" <pfuriani@uci.edu> wrote in message
news:fpi6aj$dp8$1@build.eclipse.org...
> Hello. I know that .uml file extensions and .xmi file extensions are both
> used to represent a UML diagram. What is the difference between the two?
> Don't they both follow the same xmi format anyway? Why have two extension
> names for the same thing? Can someone please explain this? Thank you.
>

Report message to a moderator