Use case diagram
 | This article contains close paraphrasing of a non-free copyrighted source, https://circle.visual-paradigm.com/docs/uml-and-sysml/use-case-diagram/ (Copyvios report). (August 2020) |
| UML diagram types |
|---|
| Structural UML diagrams |
| Behavioral UML diagrams |
A use case diagram is a representation of a user's interaction with a system that shows the relationship between the user and the different use cases the user may go through. A use case diagram can identify the different types of users of a system and the different use cases and will often be accompanied by other types of diagrams as well. The use cases are represented by either circles or ellipses.
Application
While a use case itself might drill into a lot of detail about every possibility, a use-case diagram can help provide a higher-level view of the system. It has been said before that "Use case diagrams are the blueprints for your system".[1]
Due to their simplistic nature, use case diagrams can be a good communication tool for stakeholders. The drawings attempt to mimic the real world and provide a view for the stakeholder to understand how the system is going to be designed. Siau and Lee conducted research to determine if there was a valid situation for use case diagrams at all or if they were unnecessary. What was found was that the use case diagrams conveyed the intent of the system in a more simplified manner to stakeholders and that they were "interpreted more completely than class diagrams".[2]
The purpose of a use case diagram is to capture the dynamic aspect of a system. Additional diagrams and documentation can be used to provide a complete functional and technical view of the system. They provide a simplified graphical representation of what the system should do in a use case.[3]
See also
- Agile software development
- Business case
- Fundamental modeling concepts
- Object Process Methodology
- SysML
- Unified Modeling Language
- User story
References
- ^ McLaughlin et al, 2006, page 297
- ^ Siau & Lee, 2004, page 234
- ^ "1. Use Case Diagram". Visual Paradigm Community Circle. Retrieved 2021-04-22.
Bibliography
- Gemino, A., Parker, D.(2009) "Use case diagrams in support of use case modeling: Deriving understanding from the picture", Journal of Database Management, 20(1), 1-24.
- Jacobson, I., Christerson M., Jonsson P., Övergaard G., (1992). Object-Oriented Software Engineering - A Use Case Driven Approach, Addison-Wesley.
- Kawabata, R., Kasah, K. (2007). "Systems Analysis for Collaborative System by Use Case Diagram", Journal of Integrated Design & Process Science, 11(1), 13-27.
- McLaughlin, B., Pollice, G., West, D. (2006). Head First Object Oriented Analysis and Design, O'Reilly Media, Inc.