Bulldozer00's Blog

Unlike the UML, the SysML has relatively few books and articles from which to learn the language in depth. The two (and maybe only?) SysML books that I’ve read are:

System Engineering With SysML/UML: Modeling, Analysis, Design – Tim Weilkiens

A Practical Guide to SysMLThe Systems Modeling Language – Sanford Friedenthal; Alan Moore; Rick Steiner

IMHO, they are both terrific tools for learning the SysML and they’re both well worth the investment. Thus, I heartily recommend them both for anyone who’s interested in the language.

The books’ authors take different approaches to teaching the SysML. Even though the word “practical” is embedded in Friedenthal’s title, I think that Weilkiens book is less academic and more down to earth. Friendenthal takes a method-independent path toward communicating the SysML’s notation, syntax and semantics, while Weilkiens introduces his own pragmatic SYSMOD methodology as the primary teaching vehicle. Weilkiens examples seem less “dense” and more imbibable (higher drinkability :-)) than Friedenthal’s, but Friedenthal has examples from more electro-mechanical system “types”.

What I liked best about Weilkiens’s book is that in addition to the “what”, he does a splendid job explaining the “why” behind a lot of the SysML notation and symbology. You will easily conclude that he’s passionate about the subject and that he’s eager to teach you how to understand and use the SysML. Friedenthal’s book has an excellent and thorough SysML reference in an appendix. It’s great for looking up something you need to use but you forgot the details.