Tool Mentor: Detailing a Use Case Using Rational XDE Developer - .NET Edition

Purpose

This section provides links to additional information related to this tool mentor.

• Detail a Use Case

The steps in this tool mentor match those in the activity. Links to topics in the Rational XDE™ online Help are marked with .

Overview

This tool mentor assumes that a Use-Case Model has been created in accordance with the XDE Model Structure Guidelines. It further assumes that a use case has been created by following the steps outlined in Tool Mentor: Finding Actors and Use Cases Using Rational XDE.

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

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 .
• 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 .
• You can also associate use cases with requirement and documents using the Rational RequisitePro-XDE Integration. To associate a use case to a RequisitePro requirement or document, refer to the RequisitePro-XDE integration help. This is accessed from the top menu bar by clicking Tools > Rational RequisitePro > Integration Help. More information about the RequisitePro-XDE integration is provided below.

Rational RequisitePro-XDE Integration

Using the Rational RequisitePro-XDE 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 attributes, such as 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.

To use the integration, RequisitePro must be installed, and the RequisitePro profile must be applied to the XDE model. The RequisitePro profile is automatically applied to a model created with the Use Case model template. For existing models, you must apply this profile manually. See .

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 .
2. (optional) Add swimlanes. See .
3. Add initial state, final state, and activities. See .
4. Annotate each activity with a brief description. See .
5. Connect activity states with transitions. See .
6. Create synchronization bars (as needed). See .
7. Specify guard conditions on transitions (as needed). See .

For more information, refer to in the Rational XDE™ online Help.

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 Tool Mentor: Finding Actors and Use Cases Using Rational XDE. Relationships with other use cases are described in Tool Mentor: Structuring the Use-Case Model Using Rational XDE.

For more information, refer to in the Rational XDE 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. Rational XDE 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 .

Rational Unified Process