A use case is a description of how a system or app will be used to reach a certain goal or complete a certain task. It is a tool used in software development to describe how a system will be used by its users and what its needs are.
Usually, a use case has a written description, diagrams, and a list of actors and how they interact with the system.
The use case usually has the following parts:
- Actors: A user or another system outside of the system that interacts with it is an actor. Most of the time, you can tell who an actor is by what they do, like being a customer, a salesperson, or an administrator.
- Scenarios: Scenarios are descriptions of specific use cases that show how the actor interacts with the system to reach a certain goal or task. A scenario can have more than one step, and each step can be a different action or way to interact with the system.
- Preconditions: These are the things that have to be true before the use case can be run. For example, if a use case is about making a purchase, one of the requirements might be that the user has already chosen the items they want to buy.
- Postconditions: These are the things that have to be true after the use case has been run. For example, if a user makes a purchase, one of the postconditions could be that the user’s payment has been processed and the order has been shipped.
Often, use cases are used in software development to help define and describe how a system works. They give a way to define and organize a system’s needs and make sure that the system meets its users’ needs. Use cases can also be used to test and validate how a system works, and they can be used to talk to stakeholders and team members about the project’s goals and requirements.
Usage
It is used in Requirement Managament (Scope Management)
