USE CASE DIAGRAM AND

DESCRIPTION

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 Functional Requirements & Use Cases
• Functional requirements capture the intended
behavior of the system.
• This behavior can be expressed as services, tasks or
functions of the system.
• Use case is a model of these functional requirements.

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 Use Case Diagram
• A model that describes a
system’s functional
requirements in terms of
use cases.
• A model that describe the
interactions between the
users (actors) & the system
itself.
• Simply... think of some
functions of a system
performs for users –
“cases” of using the system. 3
Use Case Diagram Elements

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 Use Case Diagram & System
Documentation
• Use case helps to model system requirements.
• Easy for users to understand.

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Use Case Diagram Elements: Actor
• Actor is someone interacting with
use case (system function).
Named by noun.
• Similar to the concept of user, but
a user can play different roles;
(example: a professor can be
instructor and researcher – plays
2 roles with two systems).
• Actor triggers use case.
• Actor has responsibility toward
the system (inputs), and Actor
have expectations from the
system (outputs).

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Use Case Diagram Elements: Use Case

• System function (process – automated or manual).

• Named by verb.
• Each Actor must be linked to a use case, while some use
cases may not be linked to actors.
User / Actor User Goal = Use Case
Order Clerk Look up item availability
Create new order
Update order
Shipping Clerk Record order fulfillment
Record back order
Merchandising manager Create special promotion
Produce catalog activity report

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Use Case Diagram Elements: Others

Connection between Actor and Use Case

Boundary of system

Include relationship between Use Cases

(One UC must call another , e.g. Login UC includes
User Authentication UC)

Extend relationship between Use Cases

(One UC calls another under certain condition,
think of if-then decision points)

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 Include Relationship
• A standard association that linked to a mandatory
use case.
• Example: to Authorize Car Loan (standard use case),
a clerk must run Check Client’s Credit History (include
use case).
 The standard UC includes the mandatory UC (use the verb
to figure direction arrow).
• Standard use case can NOT execute without the
include case → tight coupling.
 Note: UML Version 1 calls this “uses” relationship.

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 Extend Relationship
• An association that links an optional use case to a
standard use case.
• Example: Register Course (standard use case) may
have Register for Special Class (extend use case) –
class for non-standard students, in unusual time,
with special topics, requiring extra fees...)
 The optional UC extends the standard UC.
• Standard use case can execute without the extend
case → loose coupling.

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Include/Extend Relationship

<<
ex
te
nd
>>

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 How to Create Use Case Diagram
• List all possible actors
 Think of humans, machines, external systems, devices, sensors,
organization unit etc.
• List main system functions (use cases)
 Think of business events demanding system’s response.
• users’ goals/needs to be accomplished via the system
 Create, Read, Update, Delete (CRUD) data tasks.
• Draw ovals around the function labels.
• Draw system boundary.
• Draw actors and connect them with use cases.
• Specify include and extend relationships between use cases.
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 Use Case Description
• A use case is an activity that the system performs,
usually in response to a request by a user
• It shows how a user uses the system
• A use case might have different flow of activities,
depending on the actor invoking the use case
 These flow of activities are called scenarios or use case
instances
• A use case description is a textual model that list and
describes the processing details for a use case
 Brief description
 Fully developed description
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 Use Case Descriptions
• Provide information about each use case, including actors, stakeholders,
preconditions, post conditions, the flow of activities and exceptions conditions
• Activity diagrams alternatively can also be used to show the flow of activities
for a use case
• Brief description of use cases are shown below:

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 Use Case Descriptions
• Full developed use case description for more complex
use cases.
• Typical use case description templates include:
 Use case name
 Scenario (if needed)
 Triggering event
 Brief description
 Actors
 Related use cases (<<includes>>)
 Stakeholders
 Preconditions
 Post conditions
 Flow of activities
 Exception conditions
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 Brief Use Case Description

• Used for very simple use cases

• Single scenario, very few exception condition
• Eg. Add product comment, send message

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Fully Developed
Use Case
Description

Use case:
Create customer account

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Fully Developed Use Case Description

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 Fully Developed Use Case Description
Precondition
• Preconditions
 What must be true before the use case begins
 What objects must exist, information must be available,
condition of actor

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 Fully Developed Use Case Description
Postcondition
• Post conditions
 What must be true after the use case is completed
 What objects are created, updated; how objects are
associated
 Purpose:
• Use for planning test case expected results
• Indicated what objects are important during design

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Fully Developed Use Case Description
Flow of Activities

Sequence of steps and the response

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Fully Developed Use Case Description
Exception/Alternative Conditions

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