USE CASES:

An introduction

By: Robert Smith

Stick figure jokes from http://deeperdesign.com/gallery/v/Funny/

Topics:What?Why?How?

USE CASES: What?

How can we visualize and begin to analyze the problem from the user’s point of view?

Example: Typical coding exercise Where can we improve? Why do we care?

USE CASES: Why?

Remember: as a project progresses, the cost of design change increases

Typical coding example revisited

USE CASES: How?

Differs depending on who you ask SOME BASICS:

NameSummaryPreconditionsCourse of eventsAlternative pathsPostconditions

KEEP IN MIND!

The point => explain what (not how) your system will do for specific users doing specific things

USE CASES: How? (cont’d) Name / Summary /

Preconditions Course of events:

“Student enters login name and password via UC1234 and clicks ‘enter’”

System verifies username exists

System verifies password…

USE CASES: How?: Events

Careful of the details! What are some things that you might want

to include here?Happy PathAlternate Paths (All possibilities)References to other Use Cases