[Year 12 SofDev] Use Case Questions

Tue Apr 17 13:50:04 EST 2012

Re UCD. I would have the customer slightly more involved than James
(MacKillop) suggests. See the attached UCD I made for the Rivers Window
Tinting example. I'm making some assumptions about your system but I assume
the customer must contact the receptionist to request tickets in the first
place and, of course, print and/or receive tickets. Therefore I would
definitely include the customer as an UC actor (but then, I have been known
to be wrong occasionally).

Again making assumptions, but I don't see any way the thespians can be Use
Case 'actors'.

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From: sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au]
On Behalf Of Claudia Graham
Sent: Tuesday, 17 April 2012 11:15 AM
To: Year 12 Software Development Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Year 12 SofDev] Use Case Questions

Morning,

I'm marking my UCD at the moment, with students producing quite an array of
options.

However, could those that have more expertise in UCD then me confirm some
details for me.

I have a scenario that has customers and actors (part of a theatre group)
but all data entry is done by two 'receptionists' within the organisation.

In a DFD the customer and actor are entities (even if they don't enter the
data) - however, am I correct that in the UCD the customers and actors (I
know I should have used 'thespians' to avoid confusion!) will not be on the
UCD only the receptionist as that is the role that is being performed? 

Thanks

Claudia

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From: sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au]
On Behalf Of Mark KELLY
Sent: Sunday, 15 April 2012 11:06 AM
To: Year 12 Software Development Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: Re: [Year 12 SofDev] Use Case Questions

Hi Nick. Use cases are relatively new to SD so there's not really an
established understanding of our 'rules' for them, unlike (say) DFDs which
have been on the course and in exams for quite some time.

1. I would include printing the invoice as a system functional requirement.
After all, if the system does not generate the invoice, who does? If it must
be generated as part of the system's functionality, it should be in the UCD.
Putting invoices into a tray, on the other hand, is not something the
software is expected to do - unless robots are part of the system.

2. How far you go separating use cases into separate <<includes >> is a
matter of judgement, I think. You have to use common sense to ask "Is this
functional requirement a significant discrete action or is it a trivial part
of a larger use case (e.g. "Print the heading on the invoice").  <<Extends>>
are different because they are conditional, and if they are not always
carried out, they can't be lumped in with other activities that are always
carried out.

I give my kids latitude in their interpretation of how a UCD is built - it's
a bit of an art form, I think. As long as the functional requirements are
really CLEAR, I give my kids credit.  The main role of a UCD is to be
comprehensive and easy to understand.

At least that's what I reckon.

Regards
Mark

On 14 April 2012 22:53, Stebbing, Nicholas N
<stebbing.nicholas.n at edumail.vic.gov.au> wrote:

Hi all,

                I've spent much of today going through the archives of this
list trying to glean as much info as I can about use case diagrams and
Outcome 1 in general. I have to say this list is outstanding, the knowledge
and resources shared is awesome.

                I am left with some questions about use case diagrams to
help me assessing SAC 1.

1.       Should things like "Printing invoice" and "Place printout in tray"
be considered as use cases to go on a UCD?

(I've been telling my students no because they are not important functions
of the system. They can be thought of as steps that are taken to complete
the functions. Is this right? Could I be explaining it better?)

2.       Many of my students have linked all of the different use cases up
into a tangled web of includes and extends. At what point should they be
separated?

(I've been thinking about this and have a couple of ideas. Firstly it seems
that if an actor is associated with a use case then we can assume they are
associated with any use cases that extend from or are included in it. So one
point at which we need to separate cases is when one use case could be
considered to extend from another but is performed by a different actor. For
example if one person prepares an invoice but another person prints it they
would have to be entirely separate use cases. Does this sound right?)

Thanks in anticipation of any advice,

Nick Stebbing

ICT Teacher

Bayside P-12 College

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