This edition uses the Unified Process (UP) as a sample iterative process, replacing the first edition’s generic set of Recommended Process and Methods (RPM). Many of the changes in the text and diagrams revolve around this shift. If you don’t use UP, don’t worry: the material is still very relevant since the basic ideas can apply to any iterative development process.

Java programmers will also feel right at home since the code examples are in Java. If you use another object-oriented language, you should still be able to follow the discussion. Larman expands his discussion of object-oriented design principles and the General Responsibility Assignment Software Patterns (GRASP) introduced in the first edition, particularly the "Don’t Talk to Strangers" pattern which has been incorporated into the more general "Protected Variations" pattern.

Other changes include updating use cases to follow the approach popularized by Alistair Cockburn and including a third iteration in the POS System case study. My favorite addition was the new "You Know You Didn’t Understand..." sections. They listed common misconceptions about various UP concepts-" a useful aid to quickly review your understanding of the preceding sections.

If you read the first edition, you’ll probably want to read this one, too. Highly recommended for anybody who wants to learn the basics of UML and iterative OOAD.

(Junilu Lacar - bartender - June 2002)

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