UseCaseTemplate

From Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP)

Template for writing a use case for the discovery cluster

Just cut and paste this template into your own wiki page and edit away!

Put Your Use Case Name Here

Point of contact name (i.e., author name):

Goal

The goal briefly describes what the user intends to achieve with this use case.

Summary

Give a summary of the use case to capture the essence of the use case (no longer than a page). It provides a quick overview and includes the goal and principal actor.

Actors

List actors, people or things outside the system that either acts on the system (primary actors) or is acted on by the system (secondary actors). Primary actors are ones that invoke the use case and benefit from the result. Identify sensors, models, portals and relevant data resources. Identify the primary actor and briefly describe role.

Preconditions

Here we state any assumptions about the state of the system that must be met for the trigger (below) to initiate the use case. Any assumptions about other systems can also be stated here, for example, weather conditions. List all preconditions.

Triggers

Here we describe in detail the event or events that brings about the execution of this use case. Triggers can be external, temporal, or internal. They can be single events or when a set of conditions are met, List all triggers and relationships.

Basic Flow

Often referred to as the primary scenario or course of events. In the basic flow we describe the flow that would be followed if the use case where to follow its main plot from start to end. Error states or alternate states that might be highlighted are not included here. This gives any browser of the document a quick view of how the system will work. Here the flow can be documented as a list, a conversation or as a story.(as much as required)

Alternate Flows

Here we give any alternate flows that might occur. May include flows that involve error conditions. Or flows that fall outside of the basic flow.

Post Conditions

Here we give any conditions that will be true of the state of the system after the use case has been completed.

Activity Diagram

Here a diagram is given to show the flow of events that surrounds the use case. It might be that text is a more useful way of describing the use case. However often a picture speaks a 1000 words

Notes

There is always some piece of information that is required that has no other place to go. This is the place for that information.