Jo Doe goes to the phone and identifies his/herself.Add special extensions to handle the exceptional Similarly, at the start of a project only list the obvious and It also pays to be very specific about the particular user you Is a tool bar or the color of the screen is best left out. However itĭoes not spell out all the details - things like whether there User does and what the computer does as a result. User gets what they want from the computer.
( Scenarios): Each use case will need to be described in moreĭetail before you work out how to implement it.Ī scenario describes, step by step, how a particular
etc use "Access and update record", forĮxample. Avoid having a large number of overly simple usecases thatĬan be covered by one simple one: Instead of "add record", "change record", With a strong verb: "Review grade", "update record", "Get money from ATM",Īnd "Control nuclear reactor" are good names. A simple rule is to start each usecase name Usecase names must describe some activity
Rules: The actors must not be part of the software that you areĭescribing. Notice that the icons are drawn just like The UML provides a diagram that is good for summarizing a collection of useĬases.
That the actors take to achieve their goals and how the system appears to The important part of a usecase is the description of the steps The use case describes how an actor achieves a specific tangible goal. It must not be part of the system we are producing. If the team doesn't have its own space look into Web repositoriesĪ use case names a type of user (actors) and something that they want to doĪn actor can be a human, a device, or a piece of software but Use a Computer Aided Software Engineering (CASE) tool like Rational Rose. Working on a Complex Project or in a team. Word and Corel WordPerfect can do adequate diagrams. Use a simple Graphics tool like Dia or Visio. Preparing a simple diagram for handing in or presenting to others Use a chalk board with/without post-it notes. In class or working something out by yourselfĭraw roughly and quickly by hand with pencil, eraser, and paper. Second, UML is a flexible set of diagrams. Or to record for the future what you've decided. ( end of section When to Use the UML) > How do you draw diagrams in the UMLįirst: only draw a diagram when you need to: to clarify your thinking Using English, Mathematics, or Java/C++ syntax. Notice that you often have to add comments or text to a diagram Omit things that are not important or are uninteresting. In all diagrams, never draw more detail than you actually need. Organizing the work in a project into folders
Tracking the source, data, and executable files Planning and describing the modules in a complex project. Working out an algorithm for a complex operationĬlass, Object, Activity, and State diagrams Start analyzing Scenarios with a SSD of one of them. UseCase diagrams and Scenarios Understanding the organization and its problemsĭomain Working out detailed object-oriented designs Table Understanding and planning Procedures Don't worry about packages until you need to have Don't drawĪ component diagram when there is only one component - the Unless the software is running on many machines. Keep it simple - only use the UML when you need it.
The code, as input to a code generator, or as required documentation You can use the UML to make rough sketches, to express a blueprint of When you can't find a bug in code, or when your teacher/adviser requires it. Share ideas with someone else, save an idea for theįuture, show management the work you've been doing, Use a diagram when you need to think about something, UML is becoming valuable in the job market. You'll be able to share your idea with others. You will find that you will be able to think of more ideasĪnd also to work out how good an idea is. The user's view, the architecture, the internal structure UML is a standard way to draw various views of a piece of software: Many people think in pictures and a picture can express It is now maintainedīy the Object Management Group. With the support of all the big computer companies. The UML is a common diagrammatic language developed by Rational This answers some Frequently Asked Questions about a popular notation. : : What Software is running on which device.: : How is a complex architecture organized?.: : How is a complex problem solved? What is the Algorithm?.: : : Connections between classes in a UML class diagram.: : What does the User Think its all about.A Quick Guide to The Unified Modeling Language (UML).A Quick Guide to The Unified Modeling Language (UML)