Tool Mentor: Using Rational Rose® to Capture the Results of Use-Case Analysis

Purpose

To represent the results of the Activity: Use-Case Analysis in in Rational Rose®98.

Overview

The following steps are performed to record the results of Use-Case Analysis:

1. Creating the Analysis Model (optional)
2. Creating a Use-Case Realization
3. Creating Diagrams for the Use-Case Realization
4. Creating Analysis Classes
5. Documenting Class Responsibilities
6. Creating Class Diagrams to document Analysis Classes

1. Creating the Analysis Model (optional)

The Artifact: Analysis Model is optional; the results of the Activity: Use-Case Analysis are typically represented using the Artifact: Design Model. If a separate Analysis Model is to be maintained, it can be represented in Rational Rose® using a package within the Logical View Named "Analysis Model".To create a package called "Analysis Model" in the Logical View:

1. Right-click to select the Logical View in the browser.
2. Select Package from the New option on the short-cut menu. A "NewPackage" browser icon is added to the browser.
3. With the new package icon selected, type the name "Analysis Model".

In addition, separate Use-Case realizations will need to be created within this Model.  See Tool Mentor: Using Rational Rose to Create Use-Case Realizations, and follow its steps, but create the realizations within the Analysis Model package created above.

2. Creating the Use-Case Realization

See Tool Mentor: Creating a Use-Case Realization

3. Creating Diagrams for the Use-Case Realization

Use-Case Realizations may be captured in Rational Rose® using either Collaboration Diagrams or Sequence Diagrams. 

Collaboration diagrams tend to be easier to draw on a white-board, while Sequence diagrams portray object interactions and time-sequencing in a more intuitive way.   The choice of which one to use is largely a matter of taste and project preferences.

For information on creating sequence diagrams, see Tool Mentor- Using Rational Rose to Manage Sequence Diagrams. 

For information on creating collaboration diagrams, see Tool Mentor- Using Rational Rose to Manage Collaboration Diagrams

4.   Creating Analysis Classes

The Activity: Use-Case Analysis results in one or more of the Artifact: Analysis Class.  These analysis classes are typically represented in the Design Model, but may be optionally maintained in a separate Analysis Model (see Artifact: Analysis Model):

1. Right-click to select the desired "Model" package in the browser and make the short-cut menu visible.
2. Select Class from the New option on the short-cut menu. A "NewClass" class icon is added to the browser.
3. While the new class is still selected, type the name of the class.

To describe a class:

1. Double-click on the class’ symbol, either in the browser or in the class diagram to open its Class Specification dialog box.
2. In the documentation field, enter its brief description.
3. Click OK to accept the descriptions of the class and close the Class Specification dialog box.

5. Documenting Class Responsibilities

To describe the responsibilities of the analysis class:

1. Double-click on the class in the browser or class diagram to open its specification.
2. Select the Operations tab in the Specification dialog box.
3. Right-click to open the short-cut menu. Select Insert. A new operation is created in the operation list area. Enter the responsibility name, preceded by '//'.  Using these special characters will indicate that the operation is being used to describe the responsibilities of the analysis class.
4. Describe the created responsibility (operation) in the Documentation field in the Operation Specification dialog box. The invoked aspect of the designated responsibility should be described.

To move responsibilities (operations) and attributes between classes:

1. Locate the class that currently defines the operation or attribute in the browser.
2. Click on the plus sign to the left of the class name to display the full interface of the class in the browser.
3. Drag-and-drop the operation or attribute that is going to be moved to the destination class.

6. Creating Class Diagrams to document Analysis Classes

To create a class diagram and insert a class in the diagram, do the following:

1. Right-click to select the appropriate "Model" package in the browser and make the short-cut menu visible.
2. Select Class Diagram from the New option on the short-cut menu. A "NewDiagram" class diagram is added to the browser.
3. While the class diagram is still selected, type the name of the class diagram; name the diagram after the class that it is meant to describe.
4. Click to select the class in the browser.
5. Drag-and-drop the class onto the class diagram.

Repeat the preceding steps for each class in the appropriate "Model" package.