Tool Mentor: Structuring the Business Use-Case Model Using Rational Rose

Purpose

This tool mentor describes how to use Rational Rose® to document relationships between business actors and between business use cases.

Related Rational Unified Process information: Activity: Structure the Business Use-Case Model

Overview

To document relationships between actors and between use cases:

1. Document actor-generalizations

2. Document include-relationships between business use cases
3. Document extend-relationships between business use cases
4. Document use-case-generalizations

For more details, see:

• Use Case Diagrams (Overview) topic in the Rational Rose online help

• Chapter 4, Introduction to Diagrams and Chapter 7, Use-Case Diagrams and Specifications in the Using Rose manual

1. Document Actor-Generalizations

You can insert a generalization relationship between one business actor and another business actor in a use-case diagram by using the Generalization drawing tool from the use-case diagram toolbox. Once you've created the relationship, you can describe it by adding text to the documentation field of the Generalize Specification dialog.

 2. Document Include-Relationships Between Use Cases

To create an includes relationship between two use cases in a use case diagram, you first create an association between the two use cases, then assign an includes stereotype to the association. You use the includes stereotype when one use case employs the functionality of another use case. The use case being used typically contains functionality that a number of other use cases may need or want.

Once you have created the association between use cases, you can:

• Describe the relationship by adding text to the Documentation field of the Association Specification (General tab).
• Change the navigability of a role in the include-relationship. By default, associations are uni-directional. By using the Navigable field on the Association Specification (Role A or Role B), you can create a bi-directional association.

 3. Document Extend-Relationships Between Use Cases

To create an extends relationship between two use cases in a use case diagram, you first draw an association between the two use cases, then assign an extends stereotype to the association. You use the extends stereotype to express optional or conditional behavior for a use case.

Once you have created the association between use cases, you can:

• Describe the relationship by adding text to the Documentation field of the Association Specification (General tab).
• Specify multiplicity (expected instances) of a role.
• Change the navigability of a role in the extends-relationship. By default, associations are uni-directional. By using the Navigable field on the Association Specification (Role A or Role B), you can create a bi-directional association.

 4. Document Use-Case Generalizations

You can create a generalization relationship from one business use case to another use case when one use case provides common functionality (for example, when you have an abstract use case that provides common functionality to concrete use cases).

Once you have created a generalization relationship between use cases, you can describe the relationship by adding text to the Documentation field of the Generalization Specification.

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