Artifact: Use Case |  |
This artifact captures the sequence of actions a system performs that yields an observable result of value to those interacting with the system.
Domains: Requirements Work Product Kinds: Model Element, Specification
Purpose
The primary purpose of the Use Case is to capture the required system behavior from the perspective of the end user, to achieve one or more goals. Different users benefit in different ways, of course: Customers use them to describe, or at least to approve, the description of the system's behavior. Potential users use them to understand the system's behavior. Architects use them to identify architecturally significant functionality. Developers use them to understand the required system behavior so they can identify classes from the Use Cases' flow of events. Testers use them as a basis for identifying a subset of the required Test Cases. M anagers use them to plan and assess the work for each iteration. Technical writers use them to understand the sequence of system behavior that they need to describe in the documentation.
Relationships
Container Artifact | Use-Case Model
Roles | Responsible: | Modified By: Analyst Developer
Tasks | Input To: Create Test Cases Create Test Cases Design the Solution Detail Requirements Detail Requirements Refine the Architecture Implement the Solution Outline the Architecture Outline the Architecture | Output From: Detail Requirements Detail Requirements Find and Outline Requirements Find and Outline Requirements Implement the Solution
Illustrations
Templates | Use-Case Specification
Examples | Use-Case Specification
Tailoring
Representation Options | Decide the extent to which you will elaborate on Use Cases: Describe only major flows? Describe only the most important Use Cases? Fully describe preconditions and post-conditions? Describe scenarios first, and then raise the level of abstraction by describing Use Case flows? Some projects apply Use Cases informally to help discover requirements, documenting and maintaining these requirements in another form such as user stories. How you tailor Use Cases may depend on project size, team experience, your tool set, the customer relationship, and so forth. See Guideline: Detail Use Cases and Scenarios for guidance related to documenting Use Cases.
More Information
Checklists | Use Case
Concepts | Use Case
This program and the accompanying materials are made available under the Eclipse Public License v1.0 which accompanies this distribution. OpenUP Copyright. OpenUP/DSDM Copyright.