ClassBuilder

ClassBuilder is freeware CASE tool targeted at the C++ developer, running on Win95/98/NT. It lets you create, manipulate and navigate classes, class relations, class members and class methods at a high level of abstraction trough a graphical user interface. Its rich feature list includes:

• Class and sequence diagram editing (UML), with automatic layout.
• Code generation to implement associations/aggregations, with navigation methods and iterators.
• Generation of Find methods on one to many associations/aggregations and Get/Set methods on members.
• Easy project tracking, shows progress of each node (Analysis, Design, Implementation, Test, Complete).
• Wizards to insert iteration loops and navigation paths into the code of methods.
• Code synchronisation with compile environment, changes made outside ClassBuilder are noticed and read back.
• When used together with MFC, code can be generated to serialise the data structure.
• Drag and drop support for: Adding a member to a class, adding arguments, changing the order of arguments, etc.
• Documentation generation in RTF and HTML, so the documentation is always in phase with the code.
• Changes made in the generated RTF documentation can be read back into ClassBuilder.

Screen shot of ClassBuilder, showing the navigation tree and a class diagram.

Another screen shot of ClassBuilder, showing the navigation tree and a sequence diagram.

ClassBuilder is a valuable tool for the C++ programmer and is used successfully on several projects, including projects of 100+ classes. In fact, it is used for ClassBuilder itself; its feature to save and restore is completely generated. The generated code for serialisation includes code for backward compatibility with previous versions. Moreover, if you are using the Undo/Redo option within ClassBuilder, remember that the framework code for it is also generated. The advantages in using ClassBuilder are:

• More focus on design and thus better designs, because less attention is needed for implementation.
• Higher productivity, since large pieces of code are generated.
• Less errors, the simple coding tasks are automated, so less ‘Copy & Paste’ induced errors.
• Less debugging time, the associations/aggregations are kept consistent, so references to deleted objects and dangling objects without references will not occur.
• Better maintainable, the documentation is in sync with the code.

So try it out for yourself and see how you can benefit from this product.

ClassBuilder is now an open source project hosted at SourceForce, the latest release and documentation can be downloaded from:

https://sourceforge.net/projects/classbuilder

If you want to have a look at some ClassBuilder examples, follow the link below.

ClassBuilder examples page.

Some background reading how ClassBuilder handles the lifetime of objects.

Relations and their effect on object lifetime

If you have a problem with this site, you can always try the mirror site.

ClassBuilder mirror site (hetnet)

Jimmy Venema

jimmy.venema@hetnet.nl