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Abstract : |
ABSTRACT. A use case is an object-oriented modeling construct that is used to define the behavior of a system. Interactions between the user and the system are described through a prototypical course of actions along with a possible set of alternative courses of action. Primarily, use cases have been associated with requirements gathering and domain analysis. However, with the release of the Unified Modeling Language (UML) specification version 1.1, the scope of use cases has broadened to include modeling constructs at all levels. Due to this expanded scope, the representation of use cases has taken on increasing importance. Accordingly, this paper presents a survey of approaches to describing and formalizing use cases. Key aspects are presented from various approaches that have appeared in trade journals, conference proceedings, white papers, and product literature. The major elements of each approach are classified from two perspectives. The first perspective is the format of how the use case is represented. The primary representation format categories are textual, graphical, and dynamic. The second perspective is use case focus. The primary focus categories are static, dynamic, policy, and process., |
