By the way, here is the 2012 initial article:
{{Infobox software
| name = PlantUML
| screenshot =
| caption =
| programming language = [[Java (programming language)|Java]]
| operating system = [[Cross-platform]]
| genre = [[UML tool]]
| license = [[GNU General Public License|GPL]]
| website = {{URL|http://plantuml.sourceforge.net}}
}}
'''PlantUML''' is an [[open-source]] [[UML tool]] that allow to generates [[Unified_Modeling_Language|UML]] diagrams from a textual description.
It defines a language that is supposed to be intuitive and easy to learn.
It is written in [[Java (programming language)|Java]] and uses [[Graphviz]] for the layout.
== Context ==
UML diagrams are very usefull in documentation. Many [[List_of_Unified_Modeling_Language_tools|tools]]
exist that allow to create UML diagrams using a [[WYSIWYG]] approach.
There are some drawbacks of this approach:
* Diagram modifications can be difficult.
* People can tend to focus on the layout (so that the digrams looks good).
* Updating documentation may be difficult. (Due to copy/paste images between tools).
'''PlantUML''' takes another approach, close to [[Wiki]] or [[Javadoc]]. The diagrams are included ''inside'' the documentation and
the images are ''generated'' by the tool.
Diagrams are described with a textual notation, close to a computer language. (See [http://sourceforge.net/projects/plantuml/files/PlantUML%20Language%20Reference%20Guide.pdf/download Language Reference Guide]).
Since the diagrams are in plain text, it's very easy:
* To integrate them in [[Revision_control]],
* To edit them,
* To process them through scripting.
== Usage ==
'''PlantUML''' can be used in standalone or integrated with several tools:
* [https://github.com/pjkersten/PlantUML MediaWiki]
* [http://extensions.xwiki.org/xwiki/bin/view/Extension/PlantUML+Macro XWiki]
* [http://www.ndl.kiev.ua/content/redmine-wiki-external-filter-plugin Redmine wiki]
* [https://studio.plugins.atlassian.com/wiki/display/PUML/Confluence+PlantUML+Plugin Confluence]
* [http://trac-hacks.org/wiki/TracPlantUmlPlugin Track]
* [http://www.dokuwiki.org/plugin:plantuml DokuWiki]
* [http://julien.eluard.me/maven-plantuml-plugin/plugin-info.html Maven]
* [http://plantuml.sourceforge.net/ant_task.html Ant]
* [http://plantuml.sourceforge.net/eclipse.html Eclipse plugin]
* [http://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/IanYang EMacs]
* [http://www.vim.org/scripts/script.php?script_id=3538 VIM]
* [http://plantuml.sourceforge.net/word.html Microsoft Word]
== Features ==
PlantUML supports [[Class_diagram|class diagrams]], [[Sequence_diagram|sequence diagrams]], [[Use_case_diagram|use case diagrams]], [[Activity_diagram|activity diagrams]], [[UML_state_machine|state diagrams]], [[Object_diagram|object diagrams]] and [[Component_diagram|component diagrams]].
Is has a full support for [[Unicode]]
It can export [[Portable_Network_Graphics|PNG]], [[SVG]], [[Encapsulated_PostScript|EPS]] or even [[Ascii_art]] diagrams.
== Awards ==
Some site have noted the software:
* http://www.fiberdownload.com/Download/25239/PlantUml
* http://www.softsea.com/review/PlantUml.html
* http://download.famouswhy.com/plantuml/
== External links ==
*[http://plantuml.sourceforge.net/ PlantUML homepage]
[[Category:Free UML tools]]
Feel free to merge this with your draft! We won't do it ourself, to avoid self promotion :-)