[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-655907-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":81,"doc-detail-655907-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":74,"head_meta":76,"extra_data":78,"updated_unix":80},105,"en","use-case-what-it-is","Use Case - What It Is","","Explains UML use cases as widely used artifacts for discovering and recording mostly functional requirements. Defines a use case as a collection of related success and failure scenarios describing an actor using a system to support a goal, and clarifies what use cases are not (not object-oriented, not a diagram, and UML use case diagrams as secondary-value artifacts). Covers actors and scenarios, use case model scope, and formats ranging from brief to fully dressed, including a template and examples such as point of sale and coffee maker.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/technology/","Technology",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/use-case-what-it-is/655907/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/use-case-what-it-is/655907.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"cksankcs","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-11-01","2026-10-25",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",7,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"What does a UML use case describe?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"A use case describes an actor using a system to support a specific goal, captured as a collection of related success and failure scenarios.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"What is not included when working with UML use cases?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"Use cases are not object-oriented artifacts and are not diagrams; UML use case diagrams are treated as secondary-value artifacts.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"How do actors differ in a use-case context?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"Primary actors have goals fulfilled through the system and drive the use cases, supporting actors provide required services, and offstage actors have an interest in the behavior without being primary or supporting.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":75,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":77,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":79,"site_id":7},655907,1793051263,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":83},"success",[84,88,92,96,101,105,109,114,119,122,126],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":85,"show_sort_weight":86,"slug":87},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":26,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":89,"show_sort_weight":90,"slug":91},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":33,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":93,"show_sort_weight":94,"slug":95},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":97,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":98,"show_sort_weight":99,"slug":100},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":102,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":103,"slug":104},6,50,"technology",{"id":55,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":106,"show_sort_weight":107,"slug":108},"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":110,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":111,"show_sort_weight":112,"slug":113},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":115,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":116,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":118},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":117,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":120,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":121},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":123,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":124,"show_sort_weight":123,"slug":125},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":127,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":128,"show_sort_weight":97,"slug":129},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":131},{"doc_id":79,"user_id":132,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":102,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":55,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":112,"language":139,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":143,"read_time":144},3985747882755,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_29158cc5080c5b710cf443261637dec0","|  | |\n| --- | --- |\n| Use Cases\u003Cbr>Reference: Craig Larman, Applying UML and Patterns, Ch. 6 |  |\n\n\n| Use Case\u003Cbr> What it is:\u003Cbr>􀀡 Text story | | |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| 􀀡 Widely used to discover and record (mostly functional) requirements\u003Cbr>􀀡 What is it about:\u003Cbr>􀀡 Some actor(s) using a system to meet specific goals\u003Cbr>􀀡 Answering questions:\u003Cbr>􀀡 Who is using the system, what are their typical scenarios of use , and what are their goals?\u003Cbr> What it is NOT:\u003Cbr> Not object-oriented\u003Cbr>􀀡 Not a diagram\u003Cbr>􀀡 UML use cases diagrams are “secondary-value”artifacts\u003Cbr> Focus: use cases, not use case diagrams |  |  |\n\n\n| Example: Point of Sale | |\n| --- | --- |\n| 1.Customer arrives at a checkout (+goods) .\u003Cbr>2.Cashier uses POS system to record items.\u003Cbr>3.System presents a running total and lineitem details.\u003Cbr>4.Customer enters payment information, which the system validates and records.\u003Cbr>5.System updates inventory.\u003Cbr>6.Customer receives receipt from the system and leaves. |  |\n\nActors, Scenarios, and Use Cases  \nActor: entity that shows a behavior,  \n􀀡 e.g.: a person (role), computer system, or organization Scenario: specific sequence of actions and interactions between actors and a system  \n use case instance  \n singe path of using the system  \n e.g., purchasing 10 items with cash (or even more detailed) Use case: collection of related success & failure scenarios that describe an actor using a system to support a goal  \nUse Case Example with Scenarios (casual format)  \n􀀡 UC Handle Returns  \n􀀡 Main success Scenario: A customer arrives at a checkout with items to return . The cashier the POS system to record each returned item  \n􀀡 Alternate Scenarios:  \n􀀡 if the customer paid by credit ...  \n􀀡 If the item identifier is not found in the system …  \n􀀡 If the system detects failure to communicate with the external accounting system …  \nuses  \n…  \nUse-Case Model  \n Set of all written use cases  \n Model of the system’s functionality and environment  \n Unified Process (UP) defined artifact within the requirements discipline  \n UP also requires glossary.  \n May optionally include a UML use case diagram  \n use cases, actors, and their relationships  \n context diagram  \n| Three Kinds of Actors\u003Cbr> Primary actor | | |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n|  has user goals fulfilled through using services of the system under discussion\u003Cbr> drives the use cases\u003Cbr> Supporting actor\u003Cbr> provides a service to the system under discussion\u003Cbr> e.g., payment authorization service\u003Cbr> implies: clarification of external interfaces and protocols needed\u003Cbr> Offstage actor\u003Cbr> has an interest in the behavior of the use case, but is not primary or supporting\u003Cbr> e.g., a government tax agency |  |  |\n\n\n| Use Case Format\u003Cbr> Brief\u003Cbr> Succinct one-paragraph summary\u003Cbr> usually the main success scenario\u003Cbr> done during early requirements analysis\u003Cbr> should take only a couple of minutes\u003Cbr> Casual\u003Cbr> informal paragraph format\u003Cbr> multiple paragraphs covering various scenarios\u003Cbr> Fully dressed\u003Cbr> details all steps and variations\u003Cbr> includes supporting sections such as preconditions and success guarantees\u003Cbr> mainly done after many use cases are identified and during early requirements workshop for high-value and high-risk requirements (e.g., core architectural) | |\n| --- | --- |\n\nA Template for Fully Dressed Style  \n• Use case name  \n• start with a verb  \n• Scope  \n• the system under design  \n• Level  \n• user goal or subfunction level  \n• Primary actor  \n• calls on the system to deliver a service  \n• Stakeholders and interests  \n• who cares about this use case, and what do they want?  \n• Preconditions  \n• what must be true on start, and worth telling the reader  \n• Success guarantee (postcondition)  \n• what must be true on successful completion, and worth telling the reader  \n• Main success scenario  \n• a typical, unconditional happy path scenario of success  \n• Extensions  \n• alternate scenarios of success and failure  \n• Special requirements  \n• related non-functional requi","cbCaifFzA1ACcS16","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaifFzA1ACcS16","pdf",1062553,"English","# Use Cases\n## What it is and what it is NOT\n## Example: Point of Sale\n## Actors, Scenarios, and Use Cases\n## Use-Case Model\n## Three Kinds of Actors\n## Use Case Format\n## A Template for Fully Dressed Style\n## Coffee Maker Example","[{\"question\":\"What does a UML use case describe?\",\"answer\":\"A use case describes an actor using a system to support a specific goal, captured as a collection of related success and failure scenarios.\"},{\"question\":\"What is not included when working with UML use cases?\",\"answer\":\"Use cases are not object-oriented artifacts and are not diagrams; UML use case diagrams are treated as secondary-value artifacts.\"},{\"question\":\"How do actors differ in a use-case context?\",\"answer\":\"Primary actors have goals fulfilled through the system and drive the use cases, supporting actors provide required services, and offstage actors have an interest in the behavior without being primary or supporting.\"}]","Use Case - What It Is | PDF",1792964718,76]