Object oriented analysis and

design
Module 3: Use-Case Modeling
 Objectives
• Describe system behavior and show how
to capture it in a model.
• Demonstrate how to read and interpret:
– A use-case diagram
– An activity diagram
 Where Are We?
• Concepts in use-case modeling
• Use-case diagrams
• Activity diagrams
 What Is System Behavior?
• System behavior is how a system acts and
reacts.
– It comprises the actions and activities of a
system.
• System behavior is captured in use cases.
– Use cases describe the interactions between
the system and (parts of) its environment.
 What Is a Use-Case Model?
• A model that describes a system’s
functional requirements in terms of use
cases.
• A model of the system’s intended
functions (use cases) and its environment
(actors).
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 What Are the Benefits of a Use-
Case Model?
Use Case

Identification
Communication Verification

End User Domain Expert Users

Actor
• A use case describes a
sequence of events,
performed by the system,
that yields an observable
result of value to a Use Case
particular actor.
 Where Are We?
• Concepts in use-case modeling
• Use-case diagrams
• Activity diagrams
 What Is an Actor?
• Actors represent roles a user
of the system can play.
• They can represent a human,
a machine, or another system.
• They can actively interchange
information with the system.
• They can be a giver of
information.
• They can be a passive
recipient of information.
• Actors are not part of the
Actor
system.
– Actors are EXTERNAL.
 What Is a Use Case?
• Defines a set of use-case instances, where each
instance is a sequence of actions a system
performs that yields an observable result of
value to a particular actor.
– A use case models a dialogue between one or more
actors and the system
– A use case describes the actions the system takes to
deliver something of value to the actor

Use Case
 Use Cases and Actors
• A use case models a dialog between actors and
the system.
• A use case is initiated by an actor to invoke a
certain functionality in the system.

Use Case
Association

Actor
 Include Use Cases
• Include means the inclusion of particular action
sequences in the base use case.
• The included use case can be used independent
of the base use cases.
 Generalization of Use Cases
• Generalization correlates (taxonomically) more
specialized use cases and more general ones.
The special case inherits every property from
the general and adds incrementally further
properties or replaces them.
 Extend Use Cases
• Extensions define variations and special cases with the
meaning, that the extending case completes the base
use case, i.e., may be inserted in the behavior of the
base case.
• Extensions are included, maybe optional, at extension
points.
– A use case may have many extension points
– An extending use case may extend one or more of these
extension points
 Generalization of Actors
• Actors may have a taxonomic relationship.
• In use case diagrams the taxonomy is usually
not shown. Separate actor diagrams show the
relationships between actors.
 How Would You Read This
Diagram?
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Summary of Concepts
 Where Are We?
• Concepts in use-case modeling
• Use-case diagrams
• Activity diagrams
 What Is an Activity Diagram?
• An activity diagram in the use-case model
can be used to capture the activities and
actions performed in a use case.
• It is essentially a flow chart, showing flow
of control from one activity or action to
another.
 What Is an Activity?
• A specification of behavior expressed as a
flow of execution via sequencing of
subordinate units.
– Subordinate units include nested activities
and ultimately individual actions.
• May contain boolean expression
constraints when the activity is invoked or
exited
 Example: Activity Diagram
Decision
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 Swimlanes
• A swimlane shows the actions and activities
being executed by a unit, an object or a class,
mostly concurrent to other actions/activities.
 Review
• What is system behavior?
• What is a use-case model? What are its
benefits?
• What is an actor? A use case?
• What is an activity diagram?