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Why Are Modeling Tools Useful?

There are a number of reasons why modeling tools are useful. Some reasons apply to both the class and data models, some apply to one or the other.

A graphical representation of your project gives you a better conceptual overview of your project than raw XML or a mass of source files . In particular, with Xcode, it gives you a developer’s eye view of your project, not a computer-generated representation . You can customize the view to see the information you need, not what the computer thinks is important or requires you to see . This is especially useful for communication between members of a team, or for homing in on a specific aspect of a project [see filtering]. In addition, the class modeling tool may also be useful for learning about functionality provided by existing libraries.

In terms of navigation, the browser view gives you an alternate means of navigating through your source, following relationships where appropriate. It provides a compact representation and summary of the classes or entities in your project, including their properties and behaviors, and (for the class browser) an easy way to get to relevant documentation.

Both class and data models are project resources. A class model is stored with the project as it is an integral part of development process . A data model is stored as part of the project because it is essential to Core Data—it is also included in a target as it is compiled for deployment .

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