Modeling Web Services With Uml 2.0

Web services are self-contained applications that can be located on and invoked over the Internet. Because web services are built with standards such as XML, SOAP, UDDI, and WSDL, they are platform-neutral. For example, a sales rep may visit a local buyer who wants to order 10 copies of a book. Rather than waiting until he gets back to the office to place the order, the sales rep can review the inventory of the warehouse on his PDA using a web service and place the order immediately. If the local warehouse is short on inventory, another web service can search other distributors and their inventory and present alternate warehouses and quantities from which the sales rep can choose. The rep can select an option, and place the order via the web service.

The OMG's Unified Modeling Language, UML 2.0, is a standard language for modeling software systems. The specifications for UML 2.0 is expected to be approved in first quarter 2003.