Use Case Documentation Mistake #4 – No Activity Diagram

Example: Simple UML Activity Diagram

Mistake #4 – No Activity Diagram

I will admit that this mistake usually only occurs in Use Case documentation that is complex. By complex, I mean that there are a number of alternate flows in the Use Case scenario.  If you have a very simple Use Case with a Basic Flow and one simple alternate flow, then you can probably skip the Activity diagram.

However, if you have more than two alternate flows, the logic is probably complex enough that you would provide a benfit to the reader by including the Activity diagram.

Benefits of Activity Diagrams

Much like the Use Case diagram, the Activity diagram provides an easy to read visual depiction of text contained in the document.  This can be presented either before or after the reader has actually read the textual description.  Specifically in the case of a complex Use Case scenario, the Activity diagram will provide the read with a way to visualize all the logical flow.  You can imagine how hard it is to keep all the logical flow of events intact when you are reading several pages of a Use Case scenario.

In addition, software developers generally think in terms of logical associations, and they generally prefer the Activity diagram over all the text in the Use Case scenario.  If the developer requires clarification, they can refer to the detail contained in the Use Case scenario.

You should be including Activity diagrams in your Use Case documentation to improve the readability of your documentation.  Remember, the point of writing a Use Case document is to provide clear, unambiguous description of the functional requirements of the system being developed.

Tagged as: UML, Use Case Documentation