UML

Functional View

Use Case Graphical Description

Activity diagram, Sequence iagram, Include, extend, generalization
Case Study : Automatic Teller Machine ATM
Chapter 4
UML, Identify Actors, Hossein Tohidi 1
Review
 A use case represents the specification of a sequence of actions, including variants, that a
system can perform, interacting with actors of the system.
 For each actor identified previously, it is advisable to search for the different business
goals, according to which is using the system.
 Contrary to what we might believe, all actors do not necessarily use the system
 We call the one for whom the use case produces an observable result the primary actor
 In contrast, secondary actors constitute the other participants of the use case.
 A use case diagram shows the relationships among actors and the subject (system), and
use cases.
 We draw use cases(ellipses) inside the ATM system (box) and linked by associations (lines)
to their primary actors (the “stick man” icon).
 As far as possible, place the primary actors to the left of the use cases and the secondary
actors to the right.
 Shared use case is a special case that one use case is connected to more than one actor
while some of these actors for this use case need different secondary actor thus it
wouldn't be possible to represent this concepts.
 The solution would be to distinguish the shared use case to two or more use cases
regarding to the actors that need different secondary actor.
 In order to explain the dynamics of a use case in detail, the most obvious way of going
about it involves textually compiling a list of all the interactions between the actors and
the system

UML, Case Study 1 (ATM), Hossein Tohidi 2

Elements involved
 Actor
 Static Context Diagram
 Use case
 Use Case Diagram
 Primary actor, Secondary Actor
 Textual Description of a Use Case
 Scenario, sequence
 System Sequence Diagram
 Activity Diagram
 Inclusion, extension and generalization
 Package use cases

UML, Case Study 1 (ATM), Hossein Tohidi 3

Use Case Graphical Description
 However, the text also has its
disadvantages as it difficult to show how
the sequences follow one another, or at
what moment the secondary actors are
requested.
 Besides, keeping a record of changes often
turns out to be rather tiresome.
 It is therefore recommended to complete
the textual description with one or more
dynamic UML diagrams.
UML, Case Study 1 (ATM), Hossein Tohidi 4
Dynamic d descriptions of a use case

UML, Case Study 1 (ATM), Hossein Tohidi 5

Dynamic d descriptions of a use case
 For use cases, we recommend the activity diagram, as
users find it far easier to understand since it resembles
a traditional diagram.
◦ However, the state diagram may be useful for use cases
that are very interactive.
 For certain scenarios, the sequence diagram works well.
 We recommend that you present it by showing the
primary actor on the left, then an object representing
the system in a black box, and finally, any secondary
actors that may be requested during the scenario on
the right of the system.
 We will use the title system sequence diagram as
proposed by Larman.

UML, Case Study 1 (ATM), Hossein Tohidi 6

Creating Sequence Diagram

? Create a system sequence diagram that

describes the main success scenario of
the Withdraw money using a Visa card use
case.
 We use sequence diagram to describe main
success scenario for a use case.

UML, Case Study 1 (ATM), Hossein Tohidi 7

Creating Sequence Diagram
For start to draw this diagram All you need to do is
copy the interactions quoted in the textual scenario
of Withdraw money using a Visa card use case into a
sequence diagram by following the graphical
conventions listed above:
1. According to the “Unique Actor Rule” for each use
case we have just one primary actor, in result for each
main success scenario we have just one main actor.
We put that primary actor, Visa CardHolder (in this
example), on the left.
2. An object representing the ATM system as a whole
in the middle.
3. The secondary actor(s), Visa AS, to the right of the
ATM.

UML, Case Study 1 (ATM), Hossein Tohidi 8

Sequence Diagram

UML, Case Study 1 (ATM), Hossein Tohidi 9

Activity Diagram
 As we mentioned, sequence diagram is useful to present
main success scenario, so the question is that how we can
present all of the main and alternative and also error
scenario for while of a use case. The answer is activity
diagram.
 Unlike the previous sequence diagram that only describes
the main success scenario, the activity diagram can represent
all the activities that are carried out by the system, with all the
conditional branches and all the possible loops.
 The activity diagram is essentially a flowchart, showing flow
of control from activity to activity.
 The transitions are triggered at the end of activities or
actions; steps can be carried out in parallel or in sequence.

UML, Case Study 1 (ATM), Hossein Tohidi 10

 Elements of Activity Diagram
1. Activity states explained next slide
2. Action state explained next slide
3. Transition show what activity state
follows after another.
4. Decisions (branch) for which a set of
guard conditions are defined. These are
conditions that must be met to trigger
the transition.
5. Synchronization bars, which you can
use to show parallel subflows.
Synchronization bars allow you to show
concurrent threads - fork or join.

UML, Case Study 1 (ATM), Hossein Tohidi 11

Activity state vs. Action state
An activity state models the realisation of an activity
that:
◦ is complex and can be broken down into activities or
actions,
◦ can be interrupted by an event.
In general activity state, is a collection of some
atomic action is packaged in one unit.

An action state models the realisation of an action

that:
◦ is simple and cannot be broken down,
◦ is atomic, which cannot be interrupted.

UML, Case Study 1 (ATM), Hossein Tohidi 12

Start!!
 For a given use case, by considering all of
the main success and alternative and
error scenario, we start to draw the
activity diagram from initial state.
 For alternative sequence and also error
sequences we use conditional branches
and also Failed State.

UML, Case Study 1 (ATM), Hossein Tohidi 13

Activity Diagram

UML, Case Study 1 (ATM), Hossein Tohidi 14

Diagrams
Activity Diagram

UML, Case Study 1 (ATM), Hossein Tohidi 16

Activity Diagram

UML, Case Study 1 (ATM), Hossein Tohidi 17

Activity Diagram

UML, Case Study 1 (ATM), Hossein Tohidi 18

Activity Diagram

UML, Case Study 1 (ATM), Hossein Tohidi 19

Activity Diagram

UML, Case Study 1 (ATM), Hossein Tohidi 20

An improvement!
 It is possible to show alternative and error sequence
over sequence diagram.
 We can do this one when a diagram that is less
complex to read than an activity diagram, as there are
fewer symbols, but it nevertheless retains an
informative content for the specialist.
 This possibility is useful in order to introduce the
following:
◦ The main internal activities of the system
 by means of messages that it sends to itself.
◦ References to “alternative” and error sequences
 by means of notes.
 In the next slide you can see the updated version of
the last sequence diagram.

UML, Case Study 1 (ATM), Hossein Tohidi 21

Improved Sequence Diagram

UML, Case Study 1 (ATM), Hossein Tohidi 22

Summary and Conclusion
 However, the text also has its disadvantages as it difficult to show
how the sequences follow one another, or at what moment the
secondary actors are requested.
 We use sequence diagram to describe main success scenario for a use
case. Sequence diagram is a graphical presentation for the main success
Scenario.
 As we mentioned, sequence diagram is useful to present main
success scenario, so the question is that how we can present all of
the main and alternative and also error scenario for while of a use
case. The answer is activity diagram.
 Unlike the previous sequence diagram that only describes the main
success scenario, the activity diagram can represent all the activities
that are carried out by the system, with all the conditional branches and
all the possible loops.
 It is possible to show alternative and error sequence over
sequence diagram, but still activity diagram is better.
Future Works
 We continue our discussion with the other case
studies to make the previous concepts more clear.
 We continue the main topic by start to talk about
static and dynamic parts, and also class diagram.
 On the basis of a new case study, we will allow us to
outline the main difficulties, step by step, that the
construction of UML class diagrams poses.
 The class diagram has always been the most
important diagram in all object oriented methods.
 This is the diagram that automatic code generation
tools use first and foremost.
 This is also the diagram that contains the widest
range of notationsand variants; hence the difficulty in
using all these concepts correctly.
UML, Case Study 1 (ATM), Hossein Tohidi 24