DSL vs. UML

Microsoft would recommend using UML and UML-based tools for:

• Sketching.
• White boarding.
• Documentation.
• Conceptual drawings that do not directly relate to code.

Microsoft would recommend precisely defined DSLs and DSL-based tools for:

• Precise abstractions from which code is generated.
• Precise abstractions that map to variation points in frameworks and components.
• Precise mappings between DSLs.
• Conceptual drawings that have precisely specifiable mappings to other DSLs or to code artifacts.

Adpoted from Visual Studio 2005 Team System Modeling Strategy and FAQ.