Modeling System Requirements With Use Cases: Mcgraw-Hill/Irwin

Chapter 7
Modeling System
Requirements with Use
Cases
McGraw-Hill/Irwin
Copyright 2007 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All
Objectives
Describe the benefits of use-case modeling.
Define actors and use cases and be able to identify
them from context diagrams and other sources.
Describe the relationships that can appear on a usecase model diagram.
Describe the steps for preparing a use-case model.
Describe how to construct a use-case model diagram.
Describe the various sections of a use-case narrative
and be able to prepare one.
Define the purpose of the use-case ranking and priority
matrix and the use-case dependency diagram.
7-2
7-3
An Introduction to
Use-Case Modeling
One of the primary challenges is the ability to
elicit the correct and necessary system
requirements from the stakeholders and
specify them in a manner understandable to
them so those requirements can be verified
and validated.
The hardest single part of building a software system is deciding precisely
what to build. No other part of the conceptual work is a difficult as
establishing the detailed technical requirements, including all the interfaces
to people, to machines, and to other software systems. No other work so
cripples the resulting system if done wrong. No other part is more difficult to
rectify later.
Fred Brooks
7-4
IS Development Project
Track Record
canceled
before
completion
7-5
Over budget,
late, or without
needed features
Source: The Standish Group International, Inc., Chaos: A Recipe for Success
User-Centered Development
and Use-Case Modeling
User-centered development a process of
systems development based on understanding
the needs of the stakeholders and the reasons
why the system should be developed.
Use-case modeling the process of modeling
a systems functions in terms of business
events, who initiated the events, and how the
system responds to those events.
7-6
Use-case modeling has roots in object-oriented modeling.

Gaining popularity in non-object development
environments because of its usefulness in communicating
with users.
Compliments traditional modeling tools.
Benefits of Use-Case Modeling

Provides tool for capturing functional requirements.
Assists in decomposing system into manageable
pieces.
Provides means of communicating with
users/stakeholders concerning system functionality
in language they understand.
Provides means of identifying, assigning, tracking,
controlling, and management system development
activities.
Provides aid in estimating project scope, effort,
and schedule.
7-7
Benefits of Use-Case Modeling

(continued)
Aids in defining test plans and test cases.

Provides baseline for user documentation.
Provides tool for requirements traceability.
Provides starting point for identification of data
objects or entities.
Provides specifications for designing user and
system interfaces.
Provides means of defining database access
requirements.
Provides framework for driving the system
development project.
7-8
System Concepts for

Use-Case Modeling
Use case a behaviorally related sequence of steps
(scenario), both automated and manual, for the purpose
of completing a single business task.
Description of system functions from the perspective of external

users in terminology they understand.
Use-case diagram a diagram that depicts the

interactions between the system and external systems
and users.
graphically describes who will use the system and in what ways
the user expects to interact with the system.
7-9
Use-case narrative a textual description of the

business event and how the user will interact with the
system to accomplish the task.
Sample Use-Case Model

Diagram
7-10
Basic Use-Case Symbols

Use case subset of the overall system functionality
Represented by a horizontal ellipse with name
of use case above, below, or inside the ellipse.
Actor anyone or anything that needs to interact

with the system to exchange information.
human, organization, another information system,
external device, even time.
Temporal event a system event triggered by time.

The actor is time.
7-11
Four Types of Actors

Primary business actor
The stakeholder that primarily benefits from the execution of
the use case.
e.g. the employee receiving the paycheck
Primary system actor

The stakeholder that directly interfaces with the system to
initiate or trigger the business or system event.
e.g. the bank teller entering deposit information
External server actor

The stakeholder that responds to a request from the use case.
e.g. the credit bureau authorizing a credit card charge
External receiver actor

7-12
The stakeholder that is not the primary actor but receives

something of value from the use case.
e.g. the warehouse receiving a packing slip
Use Case Association

Relationship
Association a relationship between an actor and a
use case in which an interaction occurs between them.
Association modeled as a solid line connecting the actor and the
use case.
Association with an arrowhead touching the use case indicates
that the use case was initiated by the actor. (1)
Association lacking arrowhead indicates a receiver actor. (2)
Associations may be bidirectional or unidirectional.
7-13
Use Case Extends Relationship

Extension use case use case consisting of steps
extracted from another use case to simplify the original.
Extends the functionality of the original use case.
Generally not identified in the requirements phase
Extends relationship represented as arrow beginning at the
extension use case and pointing to use case it is extending.
Labeled <<extends>>.
7-14
Use Case Uses Relationship

Abstract use case use case that reduces redundancy in
two or more other use cases by combining common steps
found in both.
7-15
Available by any other use case that requires its functionality.

Generally not identified
in requirements phase
Relationship between
abstract use case
and use case that
uses it is called a
uses (or includes)
relationship.
Depicted as arrow
beginning at
original use case
and pointing to
use case it is using.
Labeled <<uses>>.
Use Case Depends On

Relationship
Depends On use case relationship that specifies which
other use cases must be performed before the current
use case.
Can help determine
sequence in which
use cases need to
be developed.
Depicted as arrow
beginning at one
use case and
pointing to use case
it depends on.
Labeled
<<depends on>>.
7-16
Use Case Inheritance

Relationship
Inheritance a use case relationship in
which the common behavior of two actors
initiating the same use case is
extrapolated and assigned to a new
abstract actor to reduce redundancy.
Other actors can inherit the interactions of the
abstract actor.
Depicted as an arrow beginning at one
actor and pointing to the abstract actor whose
7-17
interactions the first actor inherits.
Use Case Inheritance

Relationship
7-18
The Process of Requirements

Use-Case Modeling
Objective is to elicit and analyze enough requirements

information to prepare a model that:
To effectively estimate and schedule project, may need

to include preliminary implementation assumptions.
Steps
1.
2.
3.
4.
7-19
Communicates what is required from a user perspective.

Is free of specific details about how system will be
implemented.
Identify business actors.

Identify business use cases.
Construct use-case model diagram.
Documents business requirements use-case narratives.
Step 1: identify Business Actors

When looking for actors, ask the following
questions:
Who or what provides inputs to the system?

Who or what receives outputs from the system?
Are interfaces required to other systems?
Are there events that are automatically triggered at a
predetermined time?
Who will maintain information in the system?
Actors should be named with a noun or noun

phrase
7-20
Sample List of Actors
7-21
Step 2: Identify Business

Requirements Use Cases
Business Requirements Use Case - a
use case created during requirements
analysis to capture the interactions
between a user and the system free of
technology and implementation details.
During requirements analysis, strive to
identify and document only the most critical,
complex, and important use cases, often
called essential use cases.
7-22
Step 2: Identify Business

Requirements Use Cases (cont.)
When looking for use cases, ask the following
questions:
What are the main tasks of the actor?

What information does the actor need form the system?
What information does the actor provide to the system?
Does the system need to inform the actor of any changes or
events that have occurred?
Does the actor need to inform the system of any changes or
events that have occurred?
Use cases should be named with a verb phrase

specifying the goal of the actor (i.e. Submit
Subscription Order)
7-23
Sample Context Diagram
7-24
Sample Use-Case Glossary
7-25
continued

(cont.)
7-26
continued

(cont.)
7-27
Step 3: Construct Use-Case

Model Diagram
7-28
Step 4: Document Business

Requirements Use-Case Narratives
Document first at high level to quickly
obtain an understanding of the events and
magnitude of the system.
Then expand to a fully-documented
business requirement narrative.
Include the use cases typical course of
events and its alternate courses.
7-29
Sample High-Level Version

of a Use-Case Narrative
7-30
Sample Expanded Version

of a Use-Case Narrative
7-31
continued

of a Use-Case Narrative (cont)
7-32
continued

of a Use-Case Narrative (cont)
7-33
concluded
Use Cases and Project

Management
Use-case model can drive entire development
effort.
Project manager or systems analyst uses
business requirements use cases to estimate
and schedule the build cycles of the project.
Build cycles are scoped on the basis of the
importance of the use case and the time it takes to
implement the use case.
To determine importance of use cases, will

create:
Use-case ranking and evaluation matrix
Use-case dependency diagram
7-34
Use-Case Ranking
and Priority Matrix
In most projects, the most important use cases
are developed first.
Use-case ranking and priority matrix a tool used to
evaluate use cases and determine their priority.
Evaluates use cases on 1-5 scale against six criteria.
7-35
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Significant impact on the architectural design.

Easy to implement but contains significant functionality.
Includes risky, time-critical, or complex functions.
Involves significant research or new or risky technology.
Includes primary business functions.
Will increase revenue or decrease costs.
Sample Use-Case Ranking

and Priority Matrix
7-36
Use-Case Dependency
Diagram
Use-case dependency diagram
graphical depiction of the dependencies
among use cases.
Provides the following benefits:
7-37
Graphical depiction of the systems events and

their states enhances understanding of system
functionality.
Helps identify missing use cases.
Helps facilitate project management by
depicting which use cases are more critical.
Sample Use-Case
Dependency Diagram
7-38

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Chapter 7

Copyright 2007 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All

Use-case modeling has roots in object-oriented modeling.

Benefits of Use-Case Modeling

Benefits of Use-Case Modeling

Aids in defining test plans and test cases.

System Concepts for

Description of system functions from the perspective of external

Use-case diagram a diagram that depicts the

Use-case narrative a textual description of the

Sample Use-Case Model

Basic Use-Case Symbols

Actor anyone or anything that needs to interact

Temporal event a system event triggered by time.

Four Types of Actors

Primary system actor

External server actor

External receiver actor

The stakeholder that is not the primary actor but receives

Use Case Association

Use Case Extends Relationship

Use Case Uses Relationship

Available by any other use case that requires its functionality.

Use Case Depends On

Use Case Inheritance

interactions the first actor inherits.

Use Case Inheritance

The Process of Requirements

Objective is to elicit and analyze enough requirements

To effectively estimate and schedule project, may need

Communicates what is required from a user perspective.

Identify business actors.

Step 1: identify Business Actors

Who or what provides inputs to the system?

Actors should be named with a noun or noun

Sample List of Actors

Step 2: Identify Business

Step 2: Identify Business

What are the main tasks of the actor?

Use cases should be named with a verb phrase

Sample Context Diagram

Sample Use-Case Glossary

Sample Use-Case Glossary

Sample Use-Case Glossary

Step 3: Construct Use-Case

Step 4: Document Business

Sample High-Level Version

Sample Expanded Version

Sample Expanded Version

Sample Expanded Version

Use Cases and Project

To determine importance of use cases, will

Significant impact on the architectural design.

Sample Use-Case Ranking

Graphical depiction of the systems events and

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