Overview

This tool mentor assumes that a Use-Case Model has been created in accordance with the Model Structure Guidelines for RSx. It further assumes that a use case has been created by following the steps outlined in Find Actors and Use Cases.

The following steps are performed in this tool mentor:

• Detail the Flow of Events of the Use Case
• Structure the Flow of Events of the Use Case
• Illustrate Relationships with Actors and Other Use Cases <optional>
• Describe the Special Requirements of the Use Case
• Describe Communication Protocols
• Describe Preconditions of the Use Case <optional>
• Describe Postconditions of the Use Case <optional>
• Describe Extension Points <optional>
• Evaluate the Results

Additional Tool Information

Before detailing a use case, you need to decide how these details will be captured. Some options are:

• Using the Model Documentation window, you can document any selected model element. See Documenting Model Elements.
• A separate use-case specification document can be created using the RUP-provided template (see Artifact: Use Case for templates). The document can then be associated with the use-case model element. See Linking Model Elements to External Files.
• You can also associate use cases with requirement and documents using the Rational RequisitePro Integration. To associate a use case to a RequisitePro requirement or document, refer to the RequisitePro integration help. More information about the RequisitePro integration is provided below.

Rational RequisitePro Integration

Using the Rational RequisitePro Integration, you can edit use-case model elements from their associated requirements in RequisitePro databases and documents. You can associate use cases with requirements documents in RequisitePro, which allows you to develop a textual definition of the use case in a RequisitePro Microsoft Word document. In RequisitePro use-case documents, you can elaborate the use case with descriptions, flows of events, special requirements, and conditions.

The integration also allows you to assign requirement traceability to model elements. You can use associated requirements to track the relationships between your model elements and other requirements using RequisitePro requirements traceability capabilities. Associating model elements with requirements allows you to review and assess the impact of requirement changes on your model elements.

For more information, see the Managing Use Cases Using RSx and Rational RequisitePro guidelines.

Detail the Flow of Events of the Use Case

1. Open the Use-Case Model.
2. Navigate to the use case to be detailed.
3. Enter a detailed flow of events into the documentation associated with the model element.

Structure the Flow of Events of the Use Case

You can illustrate the structure of the flow of events with an activity diagram. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Right-click the use case in the Model Explorer, and add an activity diagram. See Activity Diagrams.
2. (optional) Add swimlanes.
3. Add initial state, final state, and activities. See Control Nodes.
4. Annotate each activity with a brief description. See Documenting Model Elements.
5. Connect activity states with transitions. See Relationships.
6. Create synchronization bars (as needed).
7. Specify guard conditions on transitions (as needed).

Illustrate Relationships with Actors and Other Use Cases <optional>

This is an optional step that is performed only to clarify the relationships between the use case and its associated actors and use cases. Adding relationships with actors is described in Find Actors and Use Cases. Relationships with other use cases are described in Structure the Use-Case Model.

For more information, refer to Modeling the Behavior of a System by using Use-Case Diagrams in the online Help.

Describe the Special Requirements of the Use Case

Enter this information into the documentation associated with the use case. Note that there is a specific section for this information in the Use-Case Specification template.

Describe Communication Protocols

Enter this information into the documentation associated with the use case. Note that there is a specific section for this information in the Use-Case Specification template.

Describe Preconditions of the Use Case <optional>

Enter this information into the documentation associated with the use case. Note that there is a specific section for this information in the Use-Case Specification template.

Describe Postconditions of the Use Case <optional>

Enter this information into the documentation associated with the use case. Note that there is a specific section for this information in the Use-Case Specification template.

Describe Extension Points <optional>

Enter this information into the documentation associated with the use case. Note that there is a specific section for this information in the Use-Case Specification template.

Evaluate the Results

Each detailed use-case description should be reviewed with stakeholders. Tool reports and published Use-Case Model diagrams (use case and activity) can aid in the review of the detailed use-case description.

For more information, refer to Publishing Models and to the Publishing a Model to Web tutorial.

Additional Tool Information

Tutorials:

• Associating requirements and model elements

Samples:

• UML Models - Simple UML Model