Specifying Precise Use Cases with Use Case Charts

Use cases are a popular method for capturing and structuring software requirements. The informality of use cases is both a blessing and a curse. It enables easy application and learning but is a barrier to automated methods for test case generation, validation or simulation. This paper presents use case charts, a precise way of specifying use cases that aims to retain the benefits of easy understanding but also supports d analysis. The graphical and abstract syntax of use case charts are given, along with a sketch of their formal semantics. 1 Use Case Charts Use cases are a popular way of structuring and analyzing software requirements but are usually written informally as a set of use case diagrams and text-based templates. This makes them very easy to use but is a barrier to the application of automated analysis methods such as test case generation, simulation and validation. More precise formalisms for specifying use cases are needed but the advantages of informal notations should ...

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2005
• Where: UML
• Authors: Jon Whittle
• Keywords: Case Charts, Natural Language Processing, Test Case Generation, UML 2005, Use Cases