Chapter 5 Revision

Terms
 Use case description – A textual model that lists and describes the
processing details of for a use case.
 Scenarios or use case instances – A unique set of internal activities
within a use case.
 Preconditions – conditions that must be true before a use begins
 Postconditions – what must be true upon the successful completion of a
use case
 System sequence diagram (SSD) – A diagram showing the sequence of
messages between an actor and the automated part of the system during
a use case scenario.
 Loop frame – notation on a sequence diagram showing repeating
messages
 True / false condition – part of a message between objects that is
evaluated prior to transmission to determine whether the message can be
sent.
 Opt frame – notation on a sequence diagram showing optional messages
 Alt frame - notation on a sequence diagram showing if-then-else logic.
 CRUD technique – An acronym for create, read, update, and delete. A
technique to validate or refine use cases
Write fully developed use Case Descriptions

A brief use case description gives enough detail for very simple use cases.
For example, ‘Add product comment’ or ‘Send Message’.
A fully developed use case description is the most formal method for
documenting a use case. By creating a fully developed use case description, you
increase the probability that you thoroughly understand the business processes
and the ways the system must support them. To create a comprehensive, robust
system that meets user’s needs, you must understand the detailed steps of each
use case.
QUESTION: EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A USE CASE IN A
SCENARIO. GIVE A SPECIFIC EXAMPLE OF A USE CASE WITH A FEW
POSSIBLE SCENARIOS.
Internally, a use case includes a whole sequence of steps to complete a business
process. Frequently, several variations of the business steps exist within a single
use case.
Each flow of activities is a valid sequence for a use case. These different flows of
activities are called scenarios or use case instances and represents a unique
path through the use case.
For example, the use case ‘create customer account’ will have a separate flow of
activities depending on which actor invokes the use case.
Possible scenarios could be ‘create online customer account’, or ‘create in store
customer account’
QUESTION: WHAT LIST THE PARTS OR COMPARTMENTS OF A FULLY
DEVELOPED USE CASE DESCRIPTION?
 Use case name
 Scenario
 Triggering event
 Brief description
 Actors
 Related use cases
 Stakeholders
 Preconditions
 Post conditions
 Flow activities
 Exception conditions
QUESTION: COMPARE PRECONDITION AND POST CONDITION.

The compartments (precondition/ post conditions) provide the information about
the state of the system before and after the use case executes.
Preconditions identify what the state of the system must be for the use case to
begin, including what object must already exist, what information must be
available, and even the conditions of the actor prior to beginning the use case.
Post conditions identify what must be true upon completion of the use case. Most
importantly, they indicate what new objects are created or updated by the use
case and how objects need to be associated.
QUESTION: COMPARE POST CONDITION AND EXCEPTION CONDITIONS
The post conditions are what must be true upon the successful completion of a
use case.
An exception condition describes an abnormal situation in the processing, like in
the flow of activities, that must be handled in some way.
Develop activity diagrams to model flow of
activities
Synchronization bars can be used either for parallel concurrent paths, or for
beginning and ending of loops
In this example, the shaded ovals show the other use cases that are invoked
while filling the shopping cart.
The activities of Fill shopping cart go in between the other use cases. For
example, after invoking Search for product and then Look at product reviews, the
actor might start Fill shopping cart to select options and quantities and add it to
the cart.
Then the actor might switch to Search and view accessories before continuing Fill
shopping cart to add an accessory. The activity diagram can be used to show a
richer user experience in this way.
Develop system sequence diagrams
QUESTION: WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF AN SSD?
In object-oriented approach, information flow is achieved by sending messages
to and from actors or back and forth between internal objects.
The SSD is used to describe the flow of information into and out of the
automated system.
It documents the inputs and outputs and the interaction between actors and the
system. It is a type of interaction diagram.
The symbols include:
 Stick figure for the actor
 Box with object name for system object
 Vertical dashed lines for object lifelines
 Horizontal arrows for messages
 Horizontal dashed arrows for return data
 Comment box for comment
Underneath the actor and ‘: system” are vertical dashed lines called lifelines. It
is the extension of that object during the use case.
There are 2 ways to show a return value on the sequence diagram:
 On the same line as the message, (;=) is used to show data returned from
the destination to the source object in response to the message.
 A dashed line with an arrow indicates a response or an answer, and is
shown in the figure, it immediately follows the initiating message.
There are 2 ways to show repetition on an SSD:
1. The message and its return are located inside a large rectangle called a
loop frame. In a smaller rectangle at the top of the frame is the
descriptive text to control the behaviour of the messages within the larger
rectangle.
2. An alternative notation where the square brackets and text inside them
are called true / false condition for the messages. The asterisk (*)
preceding the true /false condition indicates that the message repeats if
the true / false condition evaluates to true.
The important principle for identifying parameters is to base it on the class
diagram
In other words, the appropriate attributes from the classes are listed as
parameters
There are 3 types of frames used on an SSD:
1. Loop frame- notation on an SSD showing repeating messages
2. Opt frame- notation on an SSD showing optional messages
3. Alt frame- notation on an SSD showing if-then-else logic
The steps to develop an SSD is as follows:
1. Identify the input messages
2. Describe the message from the external actor to the system by using the
message notation described earlier
3. identify and add any special conditions on the input messages, including
iteration and true / false conditions
4. Identify and add the output messages
Use the CRUD technique to validate use
cases
It is a technique used to validate and refine use cases by looking at each type of
data and verify that use cases have been identified that create, read, update,
and delete the data.
The CRUD technique is most useful when used as a crosscheck along with a user
goal technique. The CRUD technique makes sure all possibilities are identified.
Users will focus on the primary goals and use cases that update, or archive data
will often be overlooked.
The technique can summarize all use cases and data entities or domain classes
to show the connection between use cases and data
The steps are as follows:

1. Identify all the domain classes involved in the new system
2. For each type of data (domain class), verify that a use case has been
identified that creates a new instance, updates existing instances, reads
values of instances, and deletes (or archives) instances.
3. If a needed use case has been overlooked, add a new use case and then
identify the stakeholders
4. With integrated applications, make sure it is clear which application is
responsible for adding and maintaining the data and which system merely
uses the data.
Explain how use case descriptions and UML
diagrams work together to define functional
requirements.
A use case diagram and the domain model class diagram are the primary models
from which others draw information. The description, in narrative format or in
activity diagrams provide internal documentation of the use cases and must
completely support the use case diagram.
Internal descriptions as preconditions and post conditions use information from
the class diagram. These detailed descriptions are also important for
development of system sequence diagrams.
Thus, the detailed descriptions, activity diagrams, common system sequence
diagrams must all be consistent with regards to the steps of a particular use
case.

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Write fully developed use Case Descriptions

QUESTION: COMPARE PRECONDITION AND POST CONDITION.

The steps are as follows:

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