Use Case Modeling (Addison-Wesley Object Technology Series) - Softcover

Use cases are a simple, straightforward -- yet very powerful -- way to express the functional requirements (or behaviors) of a system. Use cases have gained widespread acceptance because they make requirements less ambiguous by specifying exactly when and under what conditions certain behaviors occur. As a result, those who effective employ use cases to model their systems can better deliver projects on time, within budget, and with fewer defects. However, use case modeling is not that easy; it is a practice that comes with characteristics that can impact a project. In this new book, the authors allow you to benefit from their considerable experience making use cases work well in a number of different environments. With the advice, tips, and tricks presented herein, the reader will be further along the path to understanding and exploiting the power of use cases, and ultimately constructing better applications. In writing this book, the authors have worked closely with use case founder Ivar Jacobson, and the book is unique in that it presents a Rational Software Corporation-centric examination of this topic.

Developers who effectively employ use cases deliver better applications--on time and under budget. The concept behind use cases is perhaps as old as software itself; they express the behavior of systems in terms of how users will ultimately interact with them. Despite this inherent simplicity, the use case approach is frequently misapplied, resulting in functional requirements that are confusing, cumbersome, or redundant.

In Use Case Modeling, experienced use case practitioners Kurt Bittner and Ian Spence share their tips and tricks for applying use cases in various environments. They delve into all aspects of use case modeling and management, demonstrating how development teams can capitalize on the approach's simplicity when modeling complex systems.

In this ready reference, readers will discover how to

• Introduce a development team to use cases and implement a use case approach
• Identify the key elements of a use case model, including actors; and the components of a use case, including basic flow, preconditions, post-conditions, sub-flows, and alternate flows
• Master the objectives and challenges of creating detailed descriptions of use cases
• Improve their descriptions' readability and consistency
• Prevent and remedy common problems arising from the misuse of include, extend, and generalization use case relationships.
• Organize and conduct a review of a use case model to realize the best possible approach

The book draws extensively on best practices developed at Rational Software Corporation, and presents real-life examples to illustrate the considerable power of use case modeling. As such,Use Case Modeling is sure to give development teams the tools they need to translate vision and creativity into systems that satisfy the most rigorous user demands.

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