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UML – Use Case Diagram – Tutorial With Examples

Comprehensive guide to Use Case Diagram including its components, benefits, examples, etc. Also learn the step-by-step directions to draw Use Case Diagrams:

Any real-world system has multiple users and the representation of the system should consider the perspective of all users. UML (Unified Modeling Language) is a visual representation of a system. The system can be a software as well as a non-software application.

Software UML diagrams present different perspectives of the system, mainly the design, implementation, process, and deployment. It is referred to by software personnel, business users, and all interested in understanding the said system.

A Use Case diagram is a UML diagram that represents the dynamic model of the system and is referred to as a ‘Behavior diagram’ describing the system.

Table of Contents:

Objective Of UML Use Case Diagrams

Multiplicity of use case and actor, relationship: exclude and include, to-do list before drawing use-case diagram, project document sample, draw use case diagram: step-by-step guideline, use case diagram examples, frequently asked questions, was this helpful, recommended reading, what is use case diagram.

Use Case diagram represents the system’s functionality connecting all four perspectives, i.e. design, implementation, process, and deployment. For every single functionality representation, a fresh diagram is used. Hence multiple use case diagrams represent the complete system.

The main purpose is to present all functional requirements of the system diagrammatically to all the users who can access the functionality. The presentation is from the perspective of all users giving a high-level design and basic flow of events of the system.

It represented the collaboration and interdependence of the functionality and users in a very easy and understandable manner. The observable outcome of the functionality to the actor and other stakeholders of the system is shown with clarity.

It also presents the functionality’s exceptions, pre-condition, and post-condition. The diagrams do not give the details of deployment, the trigger of the event, etc.

The benefits are as follows:

• Using a Case diagram is a functional requirement documentation technique. It elicits the functionality as a black box with all the users who have access or a role in it.
• They are presented in a simple and non-technical way, easy to understand by all technical and business users.
• They bring customers, and all other users on the same page, making communication easy.
• It presents a large complex project as a set of small functionalities.
• It is presented from the end user’s perspective, making it easy for the developers to understand the business purpose.
• The association presented between actors and other external applications brings clarity to the validations and checking required for the wholesome verification of the system.
• Using Case driven project development and tracking approach help in assessing the progress of the project from a functionality readiness point of view. The key development activity status enables the project heads to present the readiness from a customer deliverable point of view.
• The project development can be prioritized as per key deliverable functionalities facilitating better control and management of project revenue.

Listed below are some important components of Use Case diagrams:

#1) System: It is also referred to as scenario or functionality. It details a set of actions between actors and the data consumed and produced if any. Notation of System Boundary (Subject) is a rectangle with the System’s name on top of the rectangle.

All use cases or functionality of the specific system are located inside the rectangle. The actors accessing the system are placed outside the system boundary.

#2) Use Case: It represents a functional unit of a large application. Notation is horizontally shaped oval and is located inside the System boundary rectangle indicating that the use case applies to the mentioned subject. A specific use case can be referred to by other systems as well.

So the system is not the owner of the use case. The interactions and actions between events, actors, and the data lead to the end result which is the Use Case goal.

#3) Actor: The actor is the entity that interacts with the subject. The actor is external to the subject and hence lies outside the system’s boundary. Actors’ naming should represent the role they play in the system, e.g. Customer, Student, Web-User, etc. Notation is the “ stick man ” icon with the actor’s name above or below the icon.

Custom icons can also be used to denote actors to represent the actor with more clarity. The actor using the use case services is called the primary actor and the actor maintaining or providing services to the use case is called the supporting actor.

#4) Relationship and Associations: The actors and use cases have an association with each other. The notation, a line with an arrow, shows a generalized relationship between the two components. In the example below ‘Registered-User’ and ‘New-User’ are generalized to ‘Web-Browser’.

A line between the use case and an actor denotes a communication link between them. Association between actors and use cases can only be binary. A use case can be linked to multiple actors and an actor could also be associated with multiple use cases.

Suggested Reading =>> Entity-Relationship Diagram tutorial

The multiplicity of Use Case:

When a use case can be associated with multiple Actors, then it’s a case of multiplicity of a use case. For example, as shown in the above image “Notation- Relationship And Association”, View-Courses’ is associated with two actors–‘New-User’ and ‘Registered-User’.

The multiplicity of an Actor

#1) Multiplicity of an Actor is an association represented by a number and can be zero to any number.

#2) Multiplicity zero – It means the use case may have an instance of no actor.

#3) Multiplicity One – It means one actor is a must for the use case.

#4) Refer to the diagram of the ‘Online Training Website’ explained below:

• When the course payment use case is processed through cash payment, the bank payment service will not be required. Hence the multiplicity of actor ‘Bank-Payment-Service’ can be 0.
• For accessing ‘View-Course’ one actor ‘New-User’ is a must hence multiplicity of this association is 1.

#5) Multiplicity greater than 1 – means there can be multiple actors involved in a use case instance. Multiple actors can be associated concurrently or at different points of time or sequentially.

• The multiplicity of an actor more than one is rare. Consider a use case diagram of a marathon-race game where multiple players run concurrently in a given instance of race. So Multiplicity of the actor (player) will be greater than 1 and concurrent.
• Consider a use case diagram of a chess game. Two players will be associated but sequentially as the steps taken by each player are not in parallel but in sequence in an instance of a chess game.
• In a use case diagram depicting the activity of a single relay-race team, multiple players will be associated but at different points in time. In an instance of race, all team members of one team are active at a different point in time.

Relationship Extend

• Extend is a relationship between two use cases. One is called the extended use case and the other extending use case.
• It is a directed relationship from the extending to the extended use case.
• The extended use case is independent and complete on its own and is the owner of the extended relationship.
• The extended use case has no relevance independently, and it just adds value to the extended use case.
• Notation is a dashed line with an open arrowhead labeled with the keyword «extend».
• The Extended Use Case name can have names of all its extending use cases as well.
• A specific use case can be extended by more than one use case.
• The extending use case can be extended further also.
• The condition which triggers the extension use case and the detail of the extension point is mentioned in a comment note and are optional

Relationship Include

• Include the relationship between use cases denotes that the behavior of the included use case is part of the base use case
• Include helps in breaking a large use case into smaller manageable use cases. A base use case can have multiple included use cases.
• Include also helps in not repeating a specific behavior, which is commonly referred to by different use cases.
• The common part is depicted in the included use case and is associated with all the use cases where it is referred.
• The included use case needs the included use case for completion. So Include cannot be depicted alone.
• Notation is a dashed arrow with an arrowhead from the included base use case to the included common part use case. The relationship notation is labeled with the keyword «include»
• An included use case can include another use case. Refer to Example 3 shown below in this tutorial, where Search doc includes Preview doc, which includes Browse docs.

Refer to the diagram of the ‘Online Training Website’ explained below:

• For joining a course, the user needs to search the course, select it and make payment. Hence the two use cases ‘View-Courses’ and ‘Course-payment’ are included in the ‘Join-a-Course’ use case.
• ‘View-Courses’ can be accessed by actor ‘New-User’ and also ‘Registered-User’. Hence the use case is separated to enable access to two actors.
• ‘Course-payment’ is separated to make the base use of ‘Join-a-Course’ less complex.

For a better understanding of all the components, please refer to the section “Step by step Guideline to Draw Use Case Diagram”.

Listed below are some readiness points before starting to draw a use case diagram to represent a System:

#1) Project broken down into multiple small functionalities

• Understand the complex large project and break it down into multiple functionalities and start documenting the detail of each functionality.

#2) Identify the goal and prioritize

• Start listing each functionality identified with the goal to be achieved by the functionality.
• Prioritize the identified functionality as per the business deliverable plan.

#3) Functionality Scope

• Understand the scope of the functionality and draw the system boundary.
• Identify all the use cases that need to be part of the system to achieve the goal.
• List all the actors (users and services) that have a role in the system. An actor can be a human, internal, and external application that can interact with the functionality.

#4) Identify relationship and association

• Have clarity in the relationships and interdependency between use cases and actors.

#5) Identify Extension and Inclusion Use cases

• List all the use cases with extension or Include a use case for it.

#6) Identify Multiplicity

• Find multiplicity of Use cases and Actors, if any.

#7) Naming Use Case and actors

• Follow a standard in naming the use cases and actors. The name should be self-explanatory.
• The name referred to for a specific user/use case should be the same across the whole project.
• A brief detail of use case functionality and the actors with access to the use case should be summarized under a specific section in the document.

#8) Important note points

• Clarify and highlight important points using Notes without overburdening the use case with notes.
• Review and validate the document before starting the drawing of the use cases.

The drawing of a specific system Use Case diagram should start only after the above details are documented and approved. An approved system’s drawing can be started while the overall project’s details are still being gathered and documentation is in progress.

Refer to the Sample document prepared which is a deliverable.

• The document helps in preparing for the Use Case depiction of the system, scheduling the Use case drawing, tracking the progress of the development, etc.
• The ‘List of System’ enables to schedule of the System that can be picked for Use Case drawing, i.e. one whose status is approved.
• The ‘List of Use Cases‘ and ‘List of Actors’ detail the use cases and actors in the scope of the system.

Document Sample

Project Name: Online Training Website

List of Actors of the Project

List of Use Cases/Activities

List of System (Functionality list)

The current section explains the step-by-step approach to drawing a Use Case diagram. Refer to the ‘Document Sample’ and select the ‘System’ with the status – Approved i.e. ‘Online Training Registration. Change the status to Use Case Diagram ‘started’ to facilitate progress tracking of each System.

Understand the system by referring to the brief and scope of the System detailed in the ‘List of System’ section of the document.

• Draw the System Boundary and name the system

• Draw the actors by referring to the column ‘Allowed actors’ in the ‘List of System’ section and name them as per the project standard icon and names as described in the ‘List of Actors’ section of the document.
• The actors ‘New-User’, ‘Registered-User’, and ‘Employee–Cashier’ are the primary actors of the system.
• The other two support service actors, i.e. the ‘Bank-Payment-Service’ and the ‘User-Authentication-Service’ are the supporting actors.

Draw the use case in the scope of the system by referring to the column ‘Use Case names’ in the ‘List of System’ section and name the use cases as mentioned in the ‘List of Use Cases‘ section of the document.

Add the Include and extension use cases for the in-scope use cases by referring to the ‘List of Use Cases‘ section of the document. ‘Join-a-Course’ includes two Use cases–‘Course-payment’ and ‘View-Courses’. Establish the association with a dash-line starting from the base use case with an arrow pointing to the included two use cases.

Depict ‘Register-User’ with its two extension points with ‘Register-help’ and ‘Location-Search-help’ and associate it with a dashed line and an arrow pointing to ‘Register-User’.

The Note feature can be added as shown in the diagram to give details.

Establish the link between the actors and the Use cases. The column ‘Allowed Actors/Multiplicity number of Actor’ in the ‘List of Use Cases‘ section of the document gives all the actors to Use case association.

There can be some actor that is allowed by the Use case but they do not have any role in the current system being depicted. Like the actor ‘Instructor’ that can access use case ‘View-Courses’ but does not have a role in the current system being depicted.

This completes the ‘Online Training Registration’ system depiction.

Example 1: This diagram represents a system named Student Management System that has five functionalities in scope.

There are two user roles, i.e. Actor who have access to the system. Actors, Teachers, and students have access to functionalities to check timetables, check grades, and check attendance. The access to functionalities update attendance and update grades are only for actor Teachers.

[image source ]

Example 2: This diagram represents Online Shopping System that has three independent functionalities in scope. Complete checkout and view items are two included functionality of Make purchase.

The primary actor is the Customer and there are four supporting actors which are services like identity providers, service authentication, and external applications like PayPal, Credit payment services.

Example 3: This diagram represents a system Website that has 7 functionalities in scope. There are two Actors Webmaster and the Site user. The Search Doc functionality has two included functionalities Preview doc and Download doc.

The Preview doc includes Browse doc functionality. There are two extension points one for each use case Upload doc and Add user.

Q #1) What is the difference between a use case diagram and a use case?

Answer: Use case diagram depicts an application/system, its users, and use cases in the scope of the system. A use case represents one specific task to achieve a goal by a user that is in the scope of the system.

Q #2) What information is contained in a use case diagram?

Answer: This diagram summarizes the tasks in the scope of the system by detailing the tasks (use cases) and their users (actors). The details are presented pictorially, giving interactions between all the components presented.

Q #3) What is an example of a use case?

Answer: A use case describes the functionality of a process. Some example of business use case is system login, placing an online order, making payment, etc.

Q #4) What is included in the use case diagram?

Answer: It mainly consists of a system boundary with use cases, actors, and their relationships.

Q #5) Name a few UML diagram tools.

Answer: Some popular UML tools are – Lucid chart, EdrawMax , Moqups, Visual Paradigm, Sketchboard, Gliffy, Creately, SmartDraw.

The UML Use Case diagrams capture the dynamic nature of the system. They present all the users of the system and all the functionalities supported by the system. The functional requirements from the perspective of all internal and external users is captured and represented.

The first component of the Use Case diagram is the system scope called the system boundary or the subject. All the tasks covered under the system’s subject are the use cases. The roles and services that have access to the functionalities considered under the specific system are called actors. The diagram depicts the relationship between use cases and actors.

Also, Read =>> What is Use Case Testing

Thi diagram presents the functional requirement in an easy-to-understand way and helps in communication, and clarity and facilitates tracking the development too.

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Home » UML » A Comprehensive Guide to Use Case Modeling

A Comprehensive Guide to Use Case Modeling

• Posted on September 12, 2023
• / Under UML , Use Case Analysis

What is Use Case Modeling?

This is a technique used in software development and systems engineering to describe the functional requirements of a system. It focuses on understanding and documenting how a system is supposed to work from the perspective of the end users. In essence, it helps answer the question: “What should the system do to meet the needs and goals of its users?”

Key Concepts of Use Case Modeling

Functional Requirements : Functional requirements are the features, actions, and behaviors a system must have to fulfill its intended purpose. Use case modeling is primarily concerned with defining and capturing these requirements in a structured manner.

End User’s Perspective : Use case modeling starts by looking at the system from the viewpoint of the people or entities (referred to as “actors”) who will interact with the system. It’s essential to understand how these actors will use the system to achieve their objectives or perform their tasks.

Interactions : Use case modeling emphasizes capturing the interactions between these end users (actors) and the system. It’s not just about what the system does in isolation; it’s about how it responds to user actions or requests.

The Basics of Use Cases:

• A use case is a description of how a system interacts with one or more external entities, called actors, to achieve a specific goal.
• A use case can be written in textual or diagrammatic form, depending on the level of detail and complexity required.
• A use case should capture the essential and relevant aspects of the interaction, such as the preconditions, postconditions, main flow, alternative flows, and exceptions.

What is a Use Case Diagram?

A use case diagram is a graphical representation used in use case modeling to visualize and communicate these interactions and relationships. In a use case diagram, you’ll typically see actors represented as stick figures, and the use cases (specific functionalities or features) as ovals or rectangles. Lines and arrows connect the actors to the use cases, showing how they interact.

• Actors : These are the entities or users outside the system who interact with it. They can be people, other systems, or even external hardware devices. Each actor has specific roles or responsibilities within the system.
• Use Cases : Use cases represent specific functionalities or processes that the system can perform to meet the needs of the actors. Each use case typically has a name and a description, which helps in understanding what it accomplishes.
• Relationships : The lines and arrows connecting actors and use cases in the diagram depict how the actors interact with the system through these use cases. Different types of relationships, such as associations, extend relationships, and include relationships, can be used to specify the nature of these interactions.

How to Perform Use Case Modeling?

• To understand a use case, you need to identify the actors and the use cases involved in the system. An actor is an external entity that has a role in the interaction with the system. An actor can be a person, another system, or a time event.
• A use case is a set of scenarios that describe how the system and the actor collaborate to achieve a common goal1. A scenario is a sequence of steps that describe what happens in a specific situation1. Actors in Use Case Modeling:
• Actors are represented by stick figures in a Use Case diagram. Actors can have generalization relationships, which indicate that one actor inherits the characteristics and behaviors of another actor. For example, a Student actor can be a generalization of an Undergraduate Student actor and a Graduate Student actor.
• Actors can also have association relationships, which indicate that an actor is involved in a use case. For example, an Instructor actor can be associated with a Grade Assignment use case.

Relationships Between Actors and Use Cases:

• An include relationship is a dependency between two use cases, where one use case (the base) incorporates the behavior of another use case (the inclusion) as part of its normal execution.
• An include relationship is represented by a dashed arrow with the stereotype «include» from the base to the inclusion.
• An include relationship can be used to reuse common functionality, simplify complex use cases, or abstract low-level details
• An extend relationship is a dependency between two use cases, where one use case (the extension) adds some optional or exceptional behavior to another use case (the base) under certain conditions.
• An extend relationship is represented by a dashed arrow with the stereotype «extend» from the extension to the base.
• An extend relationship can have an extension point, which is a location in the base use case where the extension can be inserted.
• An extension point can be labeled with a name and a condition

Creating Effective Use Cases:

• A system boundary is a box that encloses the use cases and shows the scope of the system.
• A system boundary helps to distinguish what is inside the system (the use cases) and what is outside the system (the actors).
• A system boundary should be clearly labeled with the name of the system and its version1.
• A use case goal is a statement that summarizes what the use case accomplishes for the actor.
• A use case goal should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and testable.
• A use case scenario is a sequence of steps that describes how the actor and the system interact to achieve the goal.
• A use case scenario should be complete, consistent, realistic, and traceable.
• A use case description is a textual document that provides more details about the use case, such as the preconditions, postconditions, main flow, alternative flows, and exceptions.
• A use case description should be clear and concise, using simple and precise language, avoiding jargon and ambiguity, and following a consistent format.
• A use case description should also be coherent and comprehensive, covering all possible scenarios, outcomes, and variations, and addressing all relevant requirements.
• A use case template is a standardized format that helps to organize and present the use case information in a consistent and structured way.
• A use case template can include various sections, such as the use case name, ID, goal, actors, priority, assumptions, preconditions, postconditions, main flow, alternative flows, exceptions, etc.
• A use case documentation is a collection of use cases that describes the functionality of the system from different perspectives.
• A use case documentation can be used for various purposes, such as communication, validation, verification, testing, maintenance, etc.

Use Case Modeling Best Practices:

• Identify the  key stakeholders  and their goals, and involve them in the use case development process
• Use a  top-down  approach to identify and prioritize the most important use cases
• Use a  naming convention  that is consistent, meaningful, and descriptive for the use cases and actors
• Use  diagrams  and  textual descriptions  to complement each other and provide different levels of detail
• Use  relationships  such as extend, include, and generalization to show dependencies and commonalities among use cases
• Review and  validate  the use cases with the stakeholders and ensure that they are aligned with the system requirements

Use Case Modeling using Use Case Template

Problem description: university library system.

The University Library System is facing a range of operational challenges that impact its efficiency and the quality of service it provides to students, faculty, and staff. These challenges include:

• Manual Borrowing and Return Processes : The library relies on paper-based processes for book borrowing, return, and tracking of due dates. This manual approach is prone to errors, leading to discrepancies in record-keeping and occasional disputes between library staff and users.
• Inventory Management : The current system for managing the library’s extensive collection of books and materials is outdated. The lack of an efficient inventory management system makes it difficult to locate specific items, leading to frustration among library patrons and unnecessary delays.
• Late Fee Tracking : Tracking and collecting late fees for overdue books are challenging tasks. The library staff lacks an automated system to monitor due dates and assess fines accurately. This results in a loss of revenue and inconvenience for users.
• User Account Management : User accounts, including library card issuance and management, rely on manual processes. This leads to delays in providing access to library resources for new students and difficulties in updating user information for existing members.
• Limited Accessibility : The current library system lacks online access for users to search for books, place holds, or renew checked-out items remotely. This limitation hinders the convenience and accessibility that modern students and faculty expect.
• Inefficient Resource Allocation : The library staff often face challenges in optimizing the allocation of resources, such as books, journals, and study spaces. The lack of real-time data and analytics makes it difficult to make informed decisions about resource distribution.
• Communication Gaps : There is a communication gap between library staff and users. Users are often unaware of library policies, new arrivals, or changes in operating hours, leading to misunderstandings and frustration.
• Security Concerns : The library system lacks adequate security measures to protect user data and prevent theft or unauthorized access to library resources.

These challenges collectively contribute to a suboptimal library experience for both library staff and users. Addressing these issues and modernizing the University Library System is essential to provide efficient services, enhance user satisfaction, and improve the overall academic experience within the university community.

Here’s a list of candidate use cases for the University Library System based on the problem description provided:

• Create User Account
• Update User Information
• Delete User Account
• Issue Library Cards
• Add New Books to Inventory
• Update Book Information
• Remove Books from Inventory
• Search for Books
• Check Book Availability
• Reserve Books
• Renew Borrowed Books
• Process Book Returns
• Catalog and Categorize Books
• Manage Book Copies
• Track Book Location
• Inventory Reconciliation
• Calculate Late Fees
• Notify Users of Overdue Books
• Accept Late Fee Payments
• Search for Books Online
• Place Holds on Books
• Request Book Delivery
• Renew Books Online
• Reserve Study Spaces
• Allocate Study Materials (e.g., Reserve Books)
• Manage Study Space Reservations
• Notify Users of Library Policies
• Announce New Arrivals
• Provide Operating Hours Information
• User Authentication and Authorization
• Data Security and Privacy
• Generate Usage Reports
• Analyze Borrowing Trends
• Predict Demand for Specific Materials
• Request Materials from Other Libraries
• Manage Interlibrary Loan Requests
• Staff Authentication and Authorization
• Training and Onboarding
• Staff Scheduling
• Provide Services for Users with Special Needs (e.g., Braille Materials)
• Assistive Technology Support
• Reserve Audio/Visual Equipment
• Check Out Equipment
• Suggest Books and Resources Based on User Preferences
• Organize and Promote Library Workshops and Events

These candidate use cases cover a wide range of functionalities that address the issues identified in the problem description. They serve as a foundation for further analysis, design, and development of the University Library System to enhance its efficiency and user satisfaction. The specific use cases to prioritize and implement will depend on the system’s requirements and stakeholders’ needs.

Use Case Template:

Here’s the use case template and example for borrowing a book from a university library in tabular format:

Example Use Case: Borrowing a Book from University Library

These tables above presents the use case template and example in a structured and organized way, making it easier to read and understand the key elements of the use case.

Granularity of Use Cases

Use Case Granularity Definition : Use case granularity refers to the degree of detail and organization within use case specifications. It essentially describes how finely you break down the functionality of a system when documenting use cases. In simpler terms, it’s about how much or how little you decompose a use case into smaller parts or steps.

Importance of Use Case Granularity :

• Communication Enhancement : Use case granularity plays a crucial role in improving communication between different stakeholders involved in a software project, such as business analysts, developers, testers, and end-users. When use cases are well-defined and appropriately granulated, everyone can better understand the system’s functionality and requirements.
• Project Planning : The level of granularity in use cases impacts project planning. Smaller, more finely grained use cases can make it easier to estimate the time and effort required for development tasks. This aids project managers in creating more accurate project schedules and resource allocation.
• Clarity and Precision : Achieving the right level of granularity ensures that use cases are clear and precise. If use cases are too high-level and abstract, they might lack the necessary detail for effective development. Conversely, overly detailed use cases can become unwieldy and difficult to manage.

Example : Let’s illustrate use case granularity with an example related to a “User Registration” functionality in an e-commerce application:

• High Granularity : A single use case titled “User Registration” covers the entire registration process from start to finish. It includes every step, such as entering personal information, creating a password, confirming the password, and submitting the registration form.
• Medium Granularity : Use cases are divided into smaller, more focused parts. For instance, “Enter Personal Information,” “Create Password,” and “Submit Registration” could be separate use cases. Each of these focuses on a specific aspect of user registration.
• Low Granularity : The lowest level of granularity might involve breaking down actions within a single step. For example, “Enter Personal Information” could further decompose into “Enter First Name,” “Enter Last Name,” “Enter Email Address,” and so on.

The appropriate level of granularity depends on project requirements and the specific needs of stakeholders. Finding the right balance is essential to ensure that use cases are understandable, manageable, and effective in conveying system functionality to all involved parties.

In his book ‘Writing Effective Use Cases,’ Alastair Cockburn provides a simple analogy to help us visualize various levels of goal attainment. He suggests thinking about these levels using the analogy of the sea

References:

• What is Use Case Diagram? (visual-paradigm.com)
• What is Use Case Specification?

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What is a Use Case Diagram in UML?

Relationship, system boundary, benefits of use case diagram.

• How to Draw Use Case Diagram?
• Abstract & Generalization

Business Use Case

Use case diagram examples, use case diagram tutorial.

A use case describes how a user uses a system to accomplish a particular goal. A use case diagram consists of the system, the related use cases and actors and relates these to each other to visualize: what is being described? ( system ), who is using the system? ( actors ) and what do the actors want to achieve? ( use cases ), thus, use cases help ensure that the correct system is developed by capturing the requirements from the user's point of view.

A use case is a list of actions or event steps typically defining the interactions between a role of an actor and a system to achieve a goal. A use case is a useful technique for identifying, clarifying, and organizing system requirements. A use case is made up of a set of possible sequences of interactions between systems and users that defines the features to be implemented and the resolution of any errors that may be encountered.

While a use case itself might drill into a lot of detail (such as, flow of events and scenarios) about every possibility, a use-case diagram can help provide a higher-level view of the system, providing the simplified and graphical representation of what the system must actually do.

A use case (or set of use cases) has these characteristics:

• Organizes functional requirements
• Models the goals of system/actor (user) interactions
• Describes one main flow of events (main scenarios) and possibly other exceptional flows (alternatives), also called paths or user scenarios

Finding an online Use Case Diagram tool? Just click the Draw button below to create your Use Case Diagram online. Visual Paradigm Online is free * and intuitive. You can also go through this Use Case Diagram tutorial to learn about Use Case Diagram before you get started.

Use Case Diagram Notations

Use cases define interactions between external actors and the system to attain particular goals. A use case diagram contains four main components

Actors are usually individuals involved with the system defined according to their roles. The actor can be a human or other external system.

A use case describes how actors uses a system to accomplish a particular goal. Use cases are typically initiated by a user to fulfill goals describing the activities and variants involved in attaining the goal.

The relationships between and among the actors and the use cases.

The system boundary defines the system of interest in relation to the world around it.

• Use cases is a powerful technique for the elicitation and documentation of black-box functional requirements.
• Because, use cases are easy to understand and provide an excellent way for communicating with customers and users as they are written in natural language.
• Use cases can help manage the complexity of large projects by partitioning the problem into major user features (i.e., use cases) and by specifying applications from the users' perspective.
• A use case scenario, often represented by a sequence diagram, involves the collaboration of multiple objects and classes, use cases help identify the messages (operations and the information or data required - parameters) that glue the objects and classes together.
• Use cases provide a good basis to link between the verification of the higher-level models (i.e. interaction between actors and a set of collaborative objects), and subsequently, for the validation of the functional requirements (i.e. blueprint of white-box test).
• Use case driven approach provides an traceable links for project tracking in which the key development activities such as the use cases implemented, tested, and delivered fulfilling the goals and objectives from the user point of views.

How to Draw a Use Case Diagram?

A Use Case model can be developed by following the steps below.

• Identify the Actors (role of users) of the system.
• For each category of users, identify all roles played by the users relevant to the system.
• Identify what are the users required the system to be performed to achieve these goals.
• Create use cases for every goal.
• Structure the use cases.
• Prioritize, review, estimate and validate the users.

Note that: to make use case approach more "Agile", do not detail all use cases, but prioritize them in your product backlog, you should refine the use case in different level of details according to the development phase with just-in-time and just-enough manner.

You can also:

Structuring Use Cases

UML defines three stereotypes of association between Use Cases:

<<include>> Use Case

The time to use the <<include>> relationship is after you have completed the first cut description of all your main Use Cases. You can now look at the Use Cases and identify common sequences of user-system interaction.

<<extend>> Use Case

An extending use case is, effectively, an alternate course of the base use case. The <<extend>> use case accomplishes this by conceptually inserting additional action sequences into the base use-case sequence.

Abstract and generalized Use Case

The general use case is abstract. It can not be instantiated, as it contains incomplete information. The title of an abstract use case is shown in italics.

This example depicts a model of several business use cases (goals) which represents the interactions between a restaurant (the business system) and its primary actors.

After the base use cases have been identified in the first cut, perhaps we could further structuring those use case with <<extend>> and <<include>> use cases in the second round touch up as shown in the Figure below:

A business use case is described in technology-free terminology which treats the business process as a black box and describes the business process that is used by its business actors, while an ordinary use case is normally described at the system functionality level and specifies the function or the service that the system provides for the user. In other words, business use case represents how the work to be done manually in the currently situation and it is not necessarily done by the system or intend to be automated in the scope of target system.

The figure below shows an ATM use case diagram example, which is quite a classic example to use in teaching use case diagram.

The Document Management System (DMS) use case diagram example below shows the actors and use cases of the system. In particular, there are include and extend relationships among use cases.

The Order System use case diagram example below shows the actors and use cases involved in the system:

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UML Use Case Diagram: Definition, Application, and Templates

A Use case diagram is part of the Unified modeling language, and is used by developers to see the interaction between the end users of their program and their system. To put more simply, we can say that this type of diagram is the blueprint of the entire interaction between the user and a specific system. There are many elements involved when making this diagram, and that is what we will talk about in the succeeding parts of this post.

UML Use Case Diagram Tutorial

What is use case diagram.

• Use Case Diagram Symbols
• Use Case Diagram Samples and Templates

First of all, let’s get to know what a UML use case diagram is really all about. As mentioned above, the goal of this diagram is to visualize the process of interaction between users and a system. It can change depending on the use case per individual, and provides valuable information to the developers. Using this diagram, they can see if the system is working a it should, or if it needs additional improvements. Additionally, use case diagrams are proven to be effective in explaining complex situations to stakeholders, who don’t have any technical background in software development.

Use case Diagram Symbols

A good diagram is one that doesn’t lack any symbols which can lead to inaccurate data. That is why it is important to familiarize oneself with the different symbols that commonly appear in a specialized diagram like this one. That is why we listed the most common use case diagram symbols that you will encounter when reading one.

• System Box – This symbol must never disappear from your diagram because it contains the name of the system that you are assessing.

• Actor – This can be represented by a male or female stick figure. It stands for the users who interacts with the system.

• Relationship – These are lines or arrows that connects the Actors to the System and shows how they are related. This determines the flow of the use case and is key in finding out useful data.

Case Diagram Sample Templates

Using a template is one of the easiest way to execute a UML Use case diagram. This is because it doesn’t involve the actual creation process, and only requires you to fill in the necessary information. On that note, here are some templates that you can immediately use with read-made topics just in case you need them.

Library Management System

The template above shows the framework between the user and the entire library system. It clearly shows the process and results of each use case just as it should happen in real-life.

Hospital Management System

This template uses the Use case diagram symbols to show the hospital management system. The diagram illustrates how the receptionist interacts with various cases and what the succeeding actions should be.

Online Shopping System

If you are an avid online shopper, then you are aware of the things that you need to do to order something online. This diagram shows exactly what happens when you place an order online, and the process the system follows for you to get your order delivered to your doorstep.

Software Engineering System

Lastly, we have a slightly complicated diagram since it involves software engineering. There are many variables in software engineering and this is where the use of use case diagram is important. Developers need to test their system if it follows every thing according to the program. That is why they need to use this type of chart, to simplify things for their stakeholders and users.

Starting and maintaining a system needs a solid plan. That is why being prepared for anything that can happen is a prerequisite. On that note, if you are a developer and want to test your system if it follows every protocol, then you need to map out your system. To do so, you’ll need to test it using every possible use case and map it out in a UML use case diagram.

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UML Use Case Examples

What is a Use Case Diagram?

When a system software is in the developing phase, then for making it perform efficiently, the developers specify different use cases to check the possible behavior of the software in different cases or situations. This diagram shows us the possible behavior of how the software will perform.

The benefit of using the use case diagram is that we develop the system with the user in mind. It is the best way to meet the requirements of the end-user. The use case diagram illustrates the relationship between the multiple use-cases, actors, and systems. The best practice is that the use case diagram should be small and crispy. The use case diagram specifies how a system will perform, which is why it shows only the functionality of the system.

Use Case Diagram Notation

In this section, we will talk about the four basic types of use case diagram notations. They are as follows.

The use cases tell us about how the system will perform in different cases. These use cases are made by keeping in mind what a user wants from the system. Depending on the user's wants and needs, the use cases are made, and then the system is developed and tested according to these cases.

An actor is simply the end-user. That can be anyone, a human, an organization, a machine, or anything. The actors are placed with different cases on the diagram to illustrate how the user will interact with the system.

The subsystems in the UML are the different fixed systems that behave independently in a system. They are used in UML diagrams to represent different units in the system.

Relationships in the Use Case Diagram

They show the relationship between the model elements. It shows the behavior between model elements.

Source: www.ibm.com

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Use Case Diagram Examples of Common Scenarios

This section will present multiple practical use case diagram examples that will clear out the mind and concept.

1. Use Case Diagram for ATM

The Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) is the banking subsystem that enables the end-users to interact with the multiple functionalities of the bank like transactions, depositing, etc.

In this diagram, we have two actors, the customer, and the technician. The customer needs to check the balance, withdraw cash, deposit funds, and transfer funds. All these functionalities are the use cases. The technician repairs and maintains the ATM so that customers have no complaints. These are the use-cases too.

There is a relationship between the bank and the ATM because the user will only do such acts when the bank authenticates them.

2. Use Case Diagram for Website

In the above diagram, the site user and the webmaster are the actors of the UML diagram. The site user wants to search for documents, browse documents, and view events. These are the use cases or the functionality the user wants to do. The download and preview documents are the use cases too, and they are in relation to each other based on user requirements.

The webmaster upload documents, post new events to the homepage and add a user and these use cases are in relation with the managed folders and add company but still based on what the actor wants.

3. Use Case Diagram for Library Management System

In the diagram, we can see the multiple actors: staff and the student, librarian, and library database. And we have dozens of use cases like authenticating, reserve a book, renewing a book, paying a fine, etc. Some use cases are related to each other, like invalid renewal and renewing a book, registering a new user, getting a library card ID, etc.

The librarian also does multiple tasks. The thing to notice here is that one actor is a machine that is the library database. As mentioned above, the actor can be anyone, either a human and a machine.

4. Use Case Diagram for Online Shopping

In this illustration, we have an online shopping subsystem. It has use cases like view items, make a purchase, checkout, and client register. Then we have multiple actors like the registered user, web customer, and new customer. These actors are related to each other. The use cases are also in a relationship.

The actors PayPal and credit payment service are the organizations interacting with the subsystem with different use-cases.

5. Use Case Diagram for Hospital Management System

Source: www.uml-diagrams.org

It is the use case diagram of the hospital management system. In this diagram, the receptionist is the leading actor. The receptionist interacts with multiple use cases like a scheduled patient appointment, patient admission in the hospital, etc. These cases are related to each other.

6. Use Case Diagram for Car Rental System

It is an illustration of the car rental system use-case UML. Here, the insurance company is the actor that is the organization interacting with bill payment use-case and the customer is also an actor. Through the customer, the insurance company is also interacting with other use-cases of the car rental system. The employee and the manager are also the actors in this system.

7. Use Case Diagram for Student Registration System

Source: www.researchgate.net

It is the student registration system use-case UML diagram. Students, professors, and administrators are the actors. The system also has dozens of use-cases.

8. Use Case Diagram for Airline Reservation System

This system is the subsystem of the airline reservation system. The actors are passengers, admins, and the banks that are the organizations. The passenger is concerned with multiple use cases like login, check for availability, book ticket, etc. The book ticket use case is in relation to the choose seat use case. The admin cancels tickets, updates flight schedules. The bank sees the payment use cases.

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Use EdrawMax for Use Case Diagram Creation

Describing your system with a use case diagram before developing is essential in itself. It helps you to understand what the user needs. It helps you in making system functions more feasible. The best thing is that the use cases are visible. It helps you in testing and improving the software quickly. The use case diagram helps you to make your product user-friendly.

You can use EdrawMax to make a use case diagram. EdrawMax is the best diagram-making software that helps you to make any diagram efficiently. The software contains all the packages and libraries that will suffice you in your diagram-making.

EdrawMax allows you to import your templates or use pre-generated examples to make your production faster. You are allowed to export your project to any site. The software is free to use for the preliminary work, but you have to go for the pricing options for premium features.

How to Draw a Use Case Diagram in UML

What are your diagramming needs, i want to make my own diagram in lucidchart., i want to make diagram from a lucidchart template..

Making a use case diagram doesn't have to be complicated. Once you understand the conventions of UML, you can create and refine UML diagrams. Follow these steps to draw your own use case diagram in UML.

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Identify components

Use case diagrams differ from other UML diagrams due to their focus on actors and their interactions with a system. A use case diagram should always be organized according to the actor's perspective. Create these diagrams to help your business:

Determine where in a workflow users interact with the system.

Consider which use cases are inside or outside the scope of the system.

Define goals that actors achieve.

Begin by dragging a system boundary box onto your canvas. In Lucidchart, this shape is labeled as a rectangle container. In a development use case, systems represent what you are developing, such as a software component or a complete suite.

Next, focus on the actors. Your use case diagram should reflect the actor's perspective, so ask yourself what the end user wants from the system. Actors are represented by stick figures, a fitting symbol since actors are often people. Rename your actors to reflect their role.

Add use cases

Now it's time to drag use cases onto your system. These ovals represent the activities that actors will perform with the help of your system. For example, if you're developing a check-in mobile application, the system would be the app, and the actor would be the user. Possible use cases would be checking in, searching for a nearby venue, and finding friends.

Start with major activities or transactions, leaving sub-activities for later. Place each use case in the system that supports it, and draw use cases not supported by your system outside the box. For instance, if your check-in app does not support taking photos, but it's on the agenda for a future release, put it outside the system. Drag lines from the actors to the use cases by pulling out a line from the red dots that appear when you hover over the shape.

Customize your diagram

Now you should have a simple use case diagram. There are several ways you can customize your chart: add a color scheme, change the font, or add notes.

Publish, implement, and share

Congratulations! You have created a beautiful diagram with Lucidchart. To show off your good work (or to explain the functionality of your system to others), download your diagram to send to co-workers and friends. Click File > Download As and select your desired file type.

If you would prefer to collaborate and allow others to contribute to the diagram, click the "Share" button at the top-right corner of the Lucidchart editor. Feel free to share your document with both Lucidchart users and non-users.

Lucidchart is also fully integrated with all your favorite apps. Add diagrams to your Google Docs, Microsoft PowerPoint slides, or company wiki page in Confluence using our add-ons. Use Lucidchart integrations to streamline implementation.

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Try Lucidchart as you draw use case diagrams in Unified Modeling Language (UML). The intuitive interface will simplify the diagramming process, and with in-editor collaboration and sharing, you can easily share your diagram to explain use cases to stakeholders and anyone involved with building and maintaining your system.

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Use Case Diagram

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A use case diagram is a dynamic or behavior diagram in UML . Use case diagrams model the functionality of a system using actors and use cases. Use cases are a set of actions, services, and functions that the system needs to perform. In this context, a "system" is something being developed or operated, such as a web site. The "actors" are people or entities operating under defined roles within the system.

Use case diagrams are valuable for visualizing the functional requirements of a system that will translate into design choices and development priorities.

They also help identify any internal or external factors that may influence the system and should be taken into consideration.

They provide a good high level analysis from outside the system. Use case diagrams specify how the system interacts with actors without worrying about the details of how that functionality is implemented.

Basic Use Case Diagram Symbols and Notations

Draw your system's boundaries using a rectangle that contains use cases. Place actors outside the system's boundaries.

Draw use cases using ovals. Label the ovals with verbs that represent the system's functions.

Actors are the users of a system. When one system is the actor of another system, label the actor system with the actor stereotype.

Relationships

Illustrate relationships between an actor and a use case with a simple line. For relationships among use cases, use arrows labeled either "uses" or "extends." A "uses" relationship indicates that one use case is needed by another in order to perform a task. An "extends" relationship indicates alternative options under a certain use case.

Use Case Diagram Tool Tutorial

Start with one of SmartDraw's blank UML diagram templates or an included use case diagram example. You can quickly add shapes and users and connect them. To add text, just click and type.

Tips for UML Use Case Diagrams

When thinking of use cases, think of the end goal of a user. They don't want to "login" or "sign up." That's not a use case. The use case is more like "make a purchase."

Actors don't have names. They're not "Bob." They represent the role of someone interacting with the system.

Keep your names short and the size of your use cases consistent for a professional look.

For a detailed implementation of a user's goal use a sequence diagram .

Use Case Diagram and Other UML Examples

The best way to understand use case diagrams is to look at some examples of use case diagrams.

Click on any of these UML diagrams included in SmartDraw and edit them:

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Use Case Diagram Relationships Explained with Examples

Updated on: 13 December 2022

When it comes to drawing use case diagrams one area many struggles with is showing various relationships in use case diagrams. In fact many tend to confuse <<extend>>, <<include>> and generalization. This article will look into various use case diagram relationships in detail and explain them using examples. To get a deeper understanding of use cases, check out our use case diagram tutorial . If you want to draw them while learning you can use our tool to create use case diagrams .

There can be 5 relationship types in a use case diagram.

• Association between actor and use case
• Generalization of an actor
• Extend between two use cases
• Include between two use cases
• Generalization of a use case

Let’s take a look at these relationships in detail.

Association Between Actor and Use Case

This one is straightforward and present in every use case diagram. Few things to note.

• An actor must be associated with at least one use case.
• An actor can be associated with multiple use cases.
• Multiple actors can be associated with a single use case.

Different ways association relationship appears in use case diagrams

Check out the use case diagram guidelines for other things to consider when adding an actor.

Generalization of an Actor

Generalization of an actor means that one actor can inherit the role of the other actor. The descendant inherits all the use cases of the ancestor. The descendant has one or more use cases that are specific to that role. Let’s expand the previous use case diagram to show the generalization of an actor.

A generalized actor in an use case diagram

Extend Relationship Between Two Use Cases

Many people confuse the extend relationship in use cases. As the name implies it extends the base use case and adds more functionality to the system. Here are a few things to consider when using the << extend >> relationship.

• The extending use case is dependent on the extended (base) use case . In the below diagram the “Calculate Bonus” use case doesn’t make much sense without the “Deposit Funds” use case.
• The extending use case is usually optional and can be triggered conditionally. In the diagram, you can see that the extending use case is triggered only for deposits over 10,000 or when the age is over 55.
• The extended (base) use case must be meaningful on its own . This means it should be independent and must not rely on the behavior of the extending use case.

Lets expand our current example to show the <<extend>> relationship.

Extend relationship in use case diagrams

Although extending use case is optional most of the time it is not a must. An extending use case can have non-optional behavior as well. This mostly happens when your modeling complex behaviors.

For example, in an accounting system, one use case might be “Add Account Ledger Entry”. This might have extending use cases “Add Tax Ledger Entry” and “Add Payment Ledger Entry”. These are not optional but depend on the account ledger entry. Also, they have their own specific behavior to be modeled as a separate use case.

Include Relationship Between Two Use Cases

Include relationship show that the behavior of the included use case is part of the including (base) use case. The main reason for this is to reuse common actions across multiple use cases. In some situations, this is done to simplify complex behaviors. Few things to consider when using the <<include>> relationship.

• The base use case is incomplete without the included use case.
• The included use case is mandatory and not optional.

Lest expand our banking system use case diagram to show include relationships as well.

Includes is usually used to model common behavior

For some further reading regarding the difference between extend and include relationships in use case diagrams check this StackOverflow link .

Generalization of a Use Case

This is similar to the generalization of an actor. The behavior of the ancestor is inherited by the descendant. This is used when there is common behavior between two use cases and also specialized behavior specific to each use case.

For example, in the previous banking example, there might be a use case called “Pay Bills”. This can be generalized to “Pay by Credit Card”, “Pay by Bank Balance” etc.

I hope you found this article about use case relationships helpful and useful. You can use our diagramming tool to easily create use case diagrams online . As always if you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask them in the comments section.

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Many thanks for this great tutorial. It is really very clear with good examples and explanation methodology and most probably one of the best UML Tutorial on the web. Hope to come across such kind of good tutorials again…

Great tutorial! It’s probably the best one I’ve read

Does an included use case have to be used everytime the base case is used?

yes it does. the included use case is always be used everytime the base use case used. it’s like when someone’s sneezing he always close his eyes. sneezing is the base use case and closing eyes is the included use case.

is it possible to make extensions within a use case itself.

Yes, “The same extending UseCase can extend more than one UseCase. Furthermore, an extending UseCase may itself be extended.” – UML 2.5.1 Specification.

Found it better than other tutorials…. explaining everything as part of the development process. Thanks, hope to see other tutorials on OOAD and other topics.

This tutorial helped me to understand the difference between include and extend. Keep it up bro. Good luck!

Question: There are two sub usecases in a genaralized one. If I want a include to be attached to which one do I attach it. The main Usecase or the sub usecase

Awesome article … well and clearly explained all the concepts in use case diagrams

why use <> in use case?

In Visual Modeling we model according to some standard. Every shape or sign has a meaning.To draw relationship between Use cases we use to express the type of relationship by mentioning relationship type within . It’s a standard.

Fantastic. This is the most succinct and precise explanation of use case and their relationships that I have ever come across. Thanks

I agree – the best tutorial explaining the relationships that it can truly be understood! Thanks!!

What is the difference between “Extend” and “Generalization”?

I was preparing for my CBAP exam and this post helped me understand the difference between Extend and Include. Thanks.

what is diference between use case and use case modeling

A use case is a functionality performed by an actor(primary,secondary or offstage) Use case modeling is a process of drawing use cases in some modeling languages e.g StarUml

Nice tutorial, very helpful. Thanks a lot 🙂

Awesome Tutorial. now i understood use-case-relationship……..

Super Tutorial….. very very helpful for me to learn about Use Case Diagram……Thank u very much and I have a grate proud about u as a Sri Lankan. Keep up.

not generalized but specialised

Good tutorial! Really helpful for me

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UML Use Case Diagram: Tutorial with EXAMPLE

What is the Use Case Diagram?

Use Case Diagram captures the system’s functionality and requirements by using actors and use cases. Use Cases model the services, tasks, function that a system needs to perform. Use cases represent high-level functionalities and how a user will handle the system. Use-cases are the core concepts of Unified Modelling language modeling.

Why Use-Case diagram?

A Use Case consists of use cases, persons, or various things that are invoking the features called as actors and the elements that are responsible for implementing the use cases. Use case diagrams capture the dynamic behaviour of a live system. It models how an external entity interacts with the system to make it work. Use case diagrams are responsible for visualizing the external things that interact with the part of the system.

Use-case diagram notations

Following are the common notations used in a use case diagram:

Use cases are used to represent high-level functionalities and how the user will handle the system. A use case represents a distinct functionality of a system, a component, a package, or a class. It is denoted by an oval shape with the name of a use case written inside the oval shape. The notation of a use case in UML is given below:

It is used inside use case diagrams. The actor is an entity that interacts with the system. A user is the best example of an actor. An actor is an entity that initiates the use case from outside the scope of a use case. It can be any element that can trigger an interaction with the use case. One actor can be associated with multiple use cases in the system. The actor notation in UML is given below.

How to draw a use-case diagram?

To draw a use case diagram in UML first one need to analyse the entire system carefully. You have to find out every single function that is provided by the system. After all the functionalities of a system are found out, then these functionalities are converted into various use cases which will be used in the use case diagram.

A use case is nothing but a core functionality of any working system. After organizing the use cases, we have to enlist the various actors or things that are going to interact with the system. These actors are responsible for invoking the functionality of a system. Actors can be a person or a thing. It can also be a private entity of a system. These actors must be relevant to the functionality or a system they are interacting with.

After the actors and use cases are enlisted, then you have to explore the relationship of a particular actor with the use case or a system. One must identify the total number of ways an actor could interact with the system. A single actor can interact with multiple use cases at the same time, or it can interact with numerous use cases simultaneously.

Following rules must be followed while drawing use-case for any system:

• The name of an actor or a use case must be meaningful and relevant to the system.
• Interaction of an actor with the use case must be defined clearly and in an understandable way.
• Annotations must be used wherever they are required.
• If a use case or an actor has multiple relationships, then only significant interactions must be displayed.

Tips for drawing a use-case diagram

• A use case diagram should be as simple as possible.
• A use case diagram should be complete.
• A use case diagram should represent all interactions with the use case.
• If there are too many use cases or actors, then only the essential use cases should be represented.
• A use case diagram should describe at least a single module of a system.
• If the use case diagram is large, then it should be generalized.

An example of a use-case diagram

Following use case diagram represents the working of the student management system:

In the above use case diagram, there are two actors named student and a teacher. There are a total of five use cases that represent the specific functionality of a student management system. Each actor interacts with a particular use case. A student actor can check attendance, timetable as well as test marks on the application or a system. This actor can perform only these interactions with the system even though other use cases are remaining in the system.

It is not necessary that each actor should interact with all the use cases, but it can happen.

The second actor named teacher can interact with all the functionalities or use cases of the system. This actor can also update the attendance of a student and marks of the student. These interactions of both student and a teacher actor together sums up the entire student management application.

When to use a use-case diagram?

A use case is a unique functionality of a system which is accomplished by a user. A purpose of use case diagram is to capture core functionalities of a system and visualize the interactions of various things called as actors with the use case. This is the general use of a use case diagram.

The use case diagrams represent the core parts of a system and the workflow between them. In use case, implementation details are hidden from the external use only the event flow is represented.

With the help of use case diagrams, we can find out pre and post conditions after the interaction with the actor. These conditions can be determined using various test cases.

In general use case diagrams are used for:

• Analyzing the requirements of a system
• High-level visual software designing
• Capturing the functionalities of a system
• Modeling the basic idea behind the system
• Forward and reverse engineering of a system using various test cases.

Use cases are intended to convey desired functionality so the exact scope of a use case may vary according to the system and the purpose of creating UML model.

• Use case diagrams are a way to capture the system’s functionality and requirements in UML diagrams .
• It captures the dynamic behavior of a live system.
• A use case diagram consists of a use case and an actor.
• A use case represents a distinct functionality of a system, a component, a package, or a class.
• An actor is an entity that initiates the use case from outside the scope of a use case.
• A purpose of use case diagram is to capture the core functionalities of a system.
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• UML Diagram Cheat Sheet and Reference Guide
• Difference Between Aggregation and Composition in UML

UML Use Case Diagram Examples

Here we provide some examples of UML use case diagrams .

Examples of business use case diagrams

Purpose : An example of a business use case diagram for airport check-in and security screening.

Summary : Business use cases are Individual Check-In, Group Check-In (for groups of tourists), Security Screening, etc. - representing business functions or processes taking place in an airport and serving needs of passengers.

Purpose : Two alternative examples of business use case diagram for a Restaurant - external and internal business views of a restaurant.

Summary : Several business actors having some needs and goals as related to the restaurant and business use cases expressing expectations of the actors from the business.

Examples of system use case diagrams

Purpose : Show that ticket vending machine allows commuters to buy tickets.

Summary : The ultimate goal of a Commuter in relation to our ticket vending machine is to buy a ticket. We have a single Purchase Ticket use case, as this vending machine is not providing any other services. Ticket vending machine is a subject of the example use case diagram. Commuter and Bank are our actors , both participating in the Purchase Ticket use case .

Purpose : Describe use cases that an automated teller machine (ATM) or the automatic banking machine (ABM) provides to the bank customers.

Summary : Customer uses a bank ATM to check balances of his/her bank accounts, deposit funds, withdraw cash and/or transfer funds (use cases). ATM Technician provides maintenance and repairs to the ATM.

Purpose : An example of use cases for a Point of Sale (POS) Terminal or Checkout in a supermarket.

Summary : Checkout use case involves Customer, Clerk and Credit Payment Service actors and includes scanning items, calculating total and taxes, and payment use cases. This is an example of a large and complex use case split into several smaller use cases.

Purpose : List top level use cases for e-Library online public access catalog.

Summary : Patrons of a library can search library catalog online to locate various resources - books, periodicals, audio and visual materials, or other items under control of the library. Patrons may reserve or renew item, provide feedback, and manage their account.

Purpose : Provide top level use cases for a web customer making purchases online.

Summary : Web customer actor uses some web site to make purchases online. Top level use cases are View Items , Make Purchase and Client Register .

Purpose : Define major use cases for a credit card processing system ( credit card payment gateway ).

Summary : The merchant submits a credit card transaction request to the credit card payment gateway on behalf of a customer. Bank which issued customer's credit card is actor which could approve or reject the transaction. If transaction is approved, funds will be transferred to merchant's bank account.

Purpose : Website management or administration UML use case diagrams example.

Summary : Website Administrator actor could manage user groups, users, user sessions, and logs. Help Desk staff uses a subset of functions available to the Website Administrator.

Purpose: Describe major services (functionality) provided by a hospital's reception.

Summary : This UML use case diagram example shows actor and use cases for a hospital's reception. Hospital Reception subsystem or module supports some of the many job duties of a hospital receptionist. Receptionist schedules patient's appointment and admission to the hospital, collects information from the patient by phone and/or upon patient's arrival to the hospital.

For the patient that will stay in the hospital ("inpatient") she or he should have a bed allotted in a ward. Receptionists might also receive patient's payments, record them in a database and provide receipts, file insurance claims and medical reports.

Purpose: Radiology diagnostic reporting UML use case diagram example for Simple Image and Numeric Report (SINR) IHE Radiology Integration Profile.

Summary : In the initial stage of diagnostic reporting, a reading physician records a diagnosis by generating a draft DICOM Structured Report (SR) object. Report Creator actor transmits that DICOM SR object to the Report Manager. External Report Repository Access actor is a gateway to obtain other enterprise department reports, such as Laboratory and Pathology, from within the Imaging department.

Purpose: Use case diagram example shows some simplified view of software licensing use cases supported by Sentinel EMS Application.

Summary : Sentinel License Development Kit (Sentinel LDK) is a Software Digital Rights Management (DRM) solution by SafeNet Inc. that delivers strong copy protection, protection for Intellectual Property (IP), and secure and flexible licensing. The Sentinel EMS application handles three major workflows - license planning, order processing and production, and activation of trial software.

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Blog Data Visualization Everything You Need to Know About Use Case Diagrams

Everything You Need to Know About Use Case Diagrams

Written by: Jennifer Gaskin Nov 16, 2021

Organizations that regularly interact with their customers need to have ways of visualizing those processes and describing how exactly the interaction should go. Borrowing from the software programming industry, building a use case diagram is an excellent way to do this.

Let’s explore what you need to know about use case diagrams and how they can help keep everything straight in your company’s systems and processes, then start creating one using Venngage Use Case Diagram Maker .

Click to jump ahead:

What is a use case diagram, what is a use case diagram used for, what are the 4 main components of a use case diagram, how do you create a use case diagram, use case diagram examples.

• Use case diagram FAQs

Use case diagrams visualize the interactions a user or customer could have with a system. Formerly used only in computer programming, use case diagrams have become popular in the retail and customer service industries to explain how customers interact with a business.

While they are still primarily used for computer programming and other technical fields, use case diagrams have gained wider use in other business areas, and many organizations create use case diagrams to help them visualize all the ways a person might interact with their company.

In a business context, organizations can create use case diagrams or illustrations to visualize their sales and marketing flow, describe typical interactions with their technology or applications or analyze a complex workflow.

This use case diagram, for example, makes sense of the often-chaotic process of running a restaurant, with the many moving parts that go into creating a seamless experience for diners.

Interested in diagramming? Learn about all the diagrams you can create with Venngage.

Return to Table of Contents

The four elements of a use case diagram are:

• Relationships

In other words, a use case diagram should visualize a reason (use case) why an individual (actor) would interact with your organization (system) and the relationships between the business and the individuals.

Use case diagrams can be simple in how they visualize these four elements, as in the example below that describes why (use cases) two types of customers (actors) might interact with a bank (system) and the relationships that result.

These types of diagrams can also be complicated and describe many types of functions that may or may not always take place in the course of an individual’s relationship with a system. This example illustrates some use cases that will always occur and some that may occur.

Use case diagrams not right for your needs? Try a flowchart instead. Also check out our collection of 20+ flowchart templates and examples professionally designed for you.

First, you need to organize your four key elements — system, actors, use cases and relationships. Then, arrange them visually in a way that makes sense and will allow you to see immediately the connections between them.

Some use case diagrams also establish certain steps that may need to be a part of every use case in question or only some; it’s typical to use the terms “include” or “extend” to do this, as in the example below.

Here’s a good primer to help you understand the difference:

• Extend : When describing an ATM use case, you would use an exclude line or connection a conditional scenario, say, if a user doesn’t bank with that institution normally and must pay a fee to withdraw cash.
• Include : In our ATM use case example, this could apply to a user putting their card into the machine, entering their PIN and being shown a menu.

In other words, interactions that always happen should be described with an include notation, while those that may happen under certain conditions should be described with an extend notation.

How to create a use case diagram using Venngage

It could be difficult to create a use case diagram from scratch, and most diagram makers don’t allow you to create robust, eye-catching diagrams that are visually pleasing while still delivering the message you want.

Instead, choose a Venngage use case diagram template and edit it using our smart diagram editor. It’s easy to get started and design your use case diagram in just 5 steps:

Step 1 : Register for a FREE Venngage account.

Step 2 : Choose the use case diagram template you want. Aside from the templates above, we offer some more examples you can explore right down below.

You can also choose the template from our diagram template library:

Step 3 : Customize your diagram using our smart editor. Add text, delete and move nodes around easily.

Step 4 : Add some pizzazz to your diagrams using icons and illustrations. We offer 40,000+ icons and illustrations, over 2000 of which are diverse icons .

Make sure your diagrams have your brand colors , logos and fonts as well by using My Brand Kit :

Step 5 : Share a public link for free or upgrade to download. You can export your diagram in PNG, PDF or even as a .pptx file to use on PowerPoint or Google Slides.

Let’s check out some additional use case diagram examples that may help inspire you to come up with a new way to visualize an internal process or customer interaction with your organization.

This business use case diagram illustrates a contract management system using the extend/include function to explain processes that happen with each customer and ones that may happen, though not in every case.

In this use case diagram, we see the simpler method to describing a series of interactions two different customers can have with a bank (and a banking employee). This type of diagram is appropriate for comparing these customers with each other and not necessarily visualizing every possible interaction they could have with the employee.

Going back to our ATM example, this use case diagram illustrates interactions that occur for each individual (bank customer and administrator) and ones that only occur for some (a customer entering a bad PIN). This type of use case diagram would be useful for organizations that need to visualize multiple types of actors on a single diagram.

This use case diagram visualizes interactions a customer could have with their travel agent, including some that occur every time (include) and some that occur under certain conditions (extend). Notably, this use case diagram also illustrates how the agent then interacts with two other systems, airline and touring companies, making it ideal for processes involving third-party vendors.

FAQs about use case diagrams

What is uml.

Use case diagrams are not unrelated to UML, which stands for Unified Modeling Language, which is popular in software engineering. In UML, engineers can create many types of diagrams to help them understand and accurately program a variety of information and interactions.

UML has two broad categories of diagrams, structural and behavioral, and use case diagrams fall into the second category. That’s because they describe the behavior of the individual user as it relates to the system in question.

How do you explain UML diagrams?

UML diagrams are a method of creating a visual representation of a system, including actors, actions, roles, classes and more, in order to better understand or document functions and information about a system.

How are UML and use case diagrams different?

Some UML diagrams are use case diagrams, but not all use case diagrams are created under the UML model, and there are many more types of diagrams that can help support a UML-based methodology.

Here are just a few of the types of diagrams possible with UML:

• Class diagram
• Component diagram
• Composite structure diagram
• Deployment diagram
• Object diagram
• Package diagram
• Profile diagram
• Activity diagram
• Communications diagram
• Interaction overview diagram
• Sequence diagram
• State diagram
• Timing diagram
• Use case diagram

In summary: Create a use case diagram to help your organization visualize important processes and relationships

With Venngage Diagram Maker , you can create a use case diagram in just a few steps, ensuring that it follows your brand guidelines with a couple of clicks. Our diagram templates are created by professional designers with you in mind, so you can easily edit them even if you don’t have much design experience. It’s free to get started.

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Use case diagram, create use case diagram.

To create a Use Case Diagram:

Select first an element where a new Use Case Diagram to be contained as a child.

Select Model | Add Diagram | Use Case Diagram in Menu Bar or select Add Diagram | Use Case Diagram in Context Menu.

See also UML Use Case Diagram - For more information about UML Use Case Diagram.

Use Case Subject

To create an Use Case Subject:

Select Use Case Subject in Toolbox .

Drag on the diagram as the size of Use Case Subject.

You can use QuickEdit for Model Element (See Model Element ).

To create an Actor:

Select Actor in Toolbox .

Drag on the diagram as the size of Actor.

To create an Actor (model element only) by Menu:

Select an Element where a new Actor to be contained.

Select Model | Add | Actor in Menu Bar or Add | Actor in Context Menu.

You can use QuickEdit for Actor by double-click or press Enter on a selected Actor.

Name Expression : Edit name expression.

Syntax of Name Expression

Visibility : Change visibility property.

Add Note : Add a linked note.

Add Constraint : Add a constraint.

Add Attribute ( Ctrl+Enter ) : Add an attribute.

Add Operation ( Ctrl+Shift+Enter ) : Add an operation.

Add Sub-Actor : Add a sub-actor.

Add Super-Actor : Add a super actor.

Add Associated Use Case : Add an associated use case.

To suppress Attributes, see Suppress Attributes .

To suppress Operations, see Suppress Operations .

To show or hide Operation Signatures, see Show Operation Signature .

To create an Use Case:

Select Use Case in Toolbox .

Drag on the diagram as the size of Use Case.

To create an Use Case (model element only) by Menu:

Select an Element where a new Use Case to be contained.

Select Model | Add | Use Case in Menu Bar or Add | Use Case in Context Menu.

You can use QuickEdit for Use Case by double-click or press Enter on a selected Use Case.

Add Extension Point ( Ctrl+Enter ) : Add an extension point.

Add Associated Actor : Add an associated actor.

Add Included Use Case : Add an included use case.

Add Extended Use Case : Add an extended use case.

Extension Point

To add an Extension Point:

Select an Use Case.

Select Model | Add | Extension Point in Menu Bar or Add | Extension Point in Context Menu.

You can use QuickEdit for Extension Point by double-click or press Enter on a selected Extension Point.

Add ( Ctrl+Enter ) : Add one more extension point in the below.

Delete ( Ctrl+Delete ) : Delete the extension point

Move Up ( Ctrl+Up ) : Move the extension point up.

Move Down ( Ctrl+Down ) : Move the extension point down.

To create an Include:

Select Include in Toolbox .

Drag from a Use Case and drop on another Use Case (to be included).

You can use QuickEdit for Relationship (See Relationship ).

To create an Extend:

Select Extend in Toolbox .

Drag from a Use Case (to be extended) and drop on another Use Case.

Last updated 1 year ago

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Use case case study – uml modelling.

In this Use Case case study, I am going to present a case study of the airport check-in system. The case study includes the identification of actors, use cases and scenarios including activity diagrams. I have used a generic case study approach and can be used in any software project. This case study is useful for every business analysis study.

The sequence diagram for the same case study will be covered in some other post as that would have made this post too long.

Table of Contents

• 1. Case study description
• 2. Use Case Modelling steps
• 3. Conclusion

Case study description

This proposed software system is to be designed to allow passengers to check in and get the boarding pass for flying. The baggage can also be checked in, which is optional. The check-in can happen by the counter clerk or by the passenger using the kiosk.

The system should allow individuals as well as groups of passengers to check in through the system. The boarding pass can be issued through this system. Passengers below 4 yrs need not have tickets. The airport also allows provisioning for the special needs of passengers like wheelchairs etc.

The system should also be able to capture the fact that the baggage for a passenger is screened by security.

Use Case Modelling steps

Use case modelling can be done in multiple ways. One of the standard processes is known as Rational Unified Process (RUP), this process is put forward by Rational Inc., now under Oracle.

In this article, I am going to suggest a process, which I used in my projects in various software companies. As per this process, the steps involved are as follows, these steps are for complete system analysis and design using UML models. However, in this article, we will look at only use case modelling steps:

• Understand the business domain, context and needs
• Conduct Stakeholder Analysis
• Interact with stakeholders to understand stakeholders needs
• Find structural elements/functions – functional decomposition
• Use cases identification & create use case model
• Identify scenarios
• Create activity diagrams
• Create sequence diagram, if needed
• Identify classes and build logical data model
• System design

Step1: Identify actors

The first step is to identify the actors from the given requirements. Actors are external entities, who interact with the system, to be developed. All the nouns used in the requirements could be actors. In our case, the possible candidates for being actors could be:

• Passengers with age <= 4 yrs
• Passengers with special needs
• Group of passengers
• Check-in clerk

Identification of actors is an iterative activity, where we can refine the selection of actors. If you look at the actors' list, you can see that there are multiple types of passengers. This means that an actor namely Passengers has related actors. The actors can be shown as shown below:

Step 2: Identify use cases

Once we have identified actors, we can focus on the interactions of the actors with the system. In our case of the airline system, we can identify the following use cases:

This functional mapping is an excellent way of functional decomposition as well as identification of use cases. Based on the above functional map, we can go ahead to create the use case model. A detailed use case model is shown below:

The use cases are kept within the system boundaries with proper “Include” and “Exclude” relationships.

If you want to brush up on your basics of Use cases and UML, you can read this blog: What Is Use Case Basics & Diagrams?

Step 3: Identify scenarios

Once we identify the use cases and build the use case model, the next step is to identify scenarios. The scenarios add details to the use case model. Scenarios also help in identifying business processes and creating activity diagrams.

Typically speaking, every use case may result in one or more scenarios. However, it’s not mandatory to make activity diagrams for each of the use cases. Every model diagram is created only if it helps in understanding the system better.

Scenarios can be of two types:

• Success scenario, when everything works fine
• Error/Alternate scenarios

Let’s see the scenarios for the check-in process:-

Success Scenario: Check-in process getting completed without any issues

• Individual puts the baggage for check-in and stickers
• Shows the ticket to the booking clerk at the booking counte
• The booking clerk enters the PNR number and verifies the data
• The booking clerk asks for an ID card and verifies
• The passenger puts the baggage and the weight is checked by the booking clerk
• The baggage stickers are printed and attached to the baggage
• The boarding pass is issued to the passenger

Alternate Scenario: Check-in process for Individuals having special needs

• Identify the passengers with “Special needs”
• An alert is sent to the customer service desk

There are other alternate scenarios in this case, I am not writing the steps for them. You can try that as exercise.

i. Alternate Scenario: Baggage weight > Allowed limit ii. Alternate Scenario: Valid ID card not available iii. Alternate Scenario: Passenger checks in using Kiosk Having identified the scenarios, the next step is to create the activity diagram.

Step 4: Creating activity diagrams

The activity diagrams can be created on the basis of identified steps and scenarios. You can use a tool to create the activity diagrams or use Microsoft Word or Powerpoint as well.

For our case study, the activity diagram is:

This is a type of case study, which are part of all of our business analysis courses, where we help participants to do it themselves so that they can get hands-on experience.

The use of use cases is an essential technique for business analysts to understand the requirements of stakeholders and build effective software solutions. Through the case study discussed in this article, we have seen how use cases can be applied in real-life scenarios to identify and analyze business requirements, document functional specifications, and develop robust software solutions that meet customer needs.

By following a structured approach to use case development, business analysts can ensure that the software solutions they develop are aligned with business objectives, meet user expectations, and deliver measurable business benefits.

Have you considered getting certified in business analysis but are unsure of which certification to pursue?

Consider getting certified as a Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP) by Techcanvass. The CBAP certification is a globally recognized certification that validates your expertise in business analysis and positions you as a leader in the field.

With Techcanvass's CBAP certification training program , you will gain a competitive edge in the job market and open up opportunities for career growth and development. In our training program, we cover tools like UMLet , yUML , and WebSequenceDiagrams . You will get access to all the study material, live instructor-led training, doubt-clearing sessions, and much more.

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Use Case Diagrams and examples in Software Engineering

Let’s see the Use Case Diagrams and examples in Software Engineering.

What is the use case?

A use case is an event or action with reference to the user/actor of the event/actions that should be performed through the software.

What is the use case diagram?

When we represent the use case and their interaction with actors/users through the UML( Unified modeling language ), then this kind of modeling is use case diagram.

Relationships among use cases:

Extend: There is an optional relationship among use cases.

Include: There is a compulsory relationship among use cases.

Inheritance: Some variables, functions or some other things are inherited from one use case to another use case.

Case Study of Use Case Diagrams

You need to develop a social networking website with the following functionalities;  First of all, the user should create his account. After that, the user can log in to the system and can change his profile picture. The Registered user should also be able to search for a friend. After searching a friend user can add friend.

Figure 1 represents the actions of a social website.

Use case: Register, Login

The user should register. After register user can log in to the system. So it means that register is a must to get a login (included) . The direction of the arrow represents that “register” is compulsory before “login”.

Use case: Login

once the user creates an account, now the user can log in every time without “signup”. So we also draw a direct arrow from the user to login (extend) .

Use cases: Login, Upload profile picture

When the user gets a login, now there is a choice for the user, that user can upload a profile picture or not. It totally depends on the choice of the user( extend ).

Use cases: Login, search friend

When the user gets a login, now there is a choice for the user, that the user can search a friend or not( extend ).

Use cases: Search friend, Add friend

When the user gets a login, now there is a choice for the user, that the user can search a friend or not (extend) . When a user searches a friend, then there is an option that the user adds a friend or not (extend) . But when a user adds friend then it must that user should first search the friend( included ).

Example 2: 

Case Study 2 of Use Case Diagrams 

You need to develop a web-based application with the following functionalities; Users can buy products online by placing the online order. The user can pay the bill by credit card or through Paypal.

This diagram represents inheritance among use cases. Place an order is the parent use case and pay through PayPal and pay through a credit card are child use cases. It means that some of the variables, functions are something else is inherited from parent to child.

• Place an order is the parent use case.
• Pay through Paypal is a child use case
• Pay through credit card is a child use case

Variables, functional and all kinds of data etc, that is set as protected, can be accessed from parent to child use case. For example, here anything can be inherited from place order use case to pay through pay and pay through credit card .

This diagram represents inheritance among use cases. authentication is the parent use case and authentication by finger authentication by info  are child use cases. It means that some of the variables, functions are something else is inherited from parent to child.

Template for an explanation of the diagram

• Authentication is the parent use case.
• Authentication by fingerprints is a child use case
• Authentication by info is a child use case

Variables, functional and all kinds of data, etc that are set as protected, can be accessed from parent to child use case. For example, here anything can be inherited from authentication  use case to authentication by fingerprints  and authentication info .

Case Study of Use case diagram

Suppose you need to make a software in which when the user confirms order and confirmation need the confirmation depends upon the product selection, calculation of price with tax and payment. Payment can be through PayPal or credit card.

Draw the use case diagram.

First step: Identify the requirements and put them in an oval shape.

Second step: Identify the users

Third step: Identify the relationships include, extend and generalization(parent/child).

Fourth step: Draw the Boundary

Fifth step: Connect the actor/user with the use case.

For example, in this case study following are the functional requirements;

• The user can confirm the order
• The order confirmation must be followed by the selection of the product.
• The order confirmation must be followed by the  Calculate price with tax.
• The order confirmation must be followed by the Payment.
• The payment can be done through PayPal or credit card.

Advantages of use case diagrams

There are many benefits to use cases. Some of the advantages are mentioned below;

• Use case helps us to draw and to understand the functional requirements of a system.
• The use case can evolve at each iteration. For example, it can evolve from capturing requirements to development guidelines, and similarly to a test case. Finally, use cases can evolve into user documentation.
• Use cases are traceable.
• Use cases can be used as the basis for the effort, scheduling, estimation, and validation.
• Use cases are easily understandable by technical and non-technical users. Use cases work as the understanding bridge between the software team and end-users or customers of the software.
• Use cases can improve system robustness.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Class diagrams and use case diagrams illustrate systems based on what concept?

Class diagrams and use case diagrams are used to illustrate systems based on the concept of UML (Unified Modeling Language).

What is the difference between include, base use case and included use case?

• The included use case is mandatory and not optional.
• The base use case is incomplete without the included use case

For example, in the figure confirm the order is the base use case and payment is included use case. It means that system will confirm the order if and only if the payment process will complete.

Use Case Diagram Exercise

You can click here to exercise the use case diagrams.

• Use Case Diagram MCQs

UML Diagrams MCQs Questions Answers

Read more about Use case diagram

• Use case diagram tutorial
• Common Mistakes of Use Case Diagrams
• Representing Use Case Diagram with SUC Table

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Use Case Diagram for Library Management System

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A use case diagram in UML helps to show the various ways in which a user could interact with a system. For a Library Management System, the use case diagram helps visualize the interactions between users (actors) and the system’s functionalities (use cases). This diagram provides a clear, simplified way to understand how the system operates and what it offers to its users.

Table of Content

What is a Use case diagram?

Use Case Diagram Notations

Use Case Diagram, referred to as a Behavior model or diagram. It simply describes and displays the relationship or interaction between the users or customers and providers of the application service or the system. It describes different actions that a system performs in collaboration to achieve something with one or more users of the system. A use-case diagram is used a lot nowadays to manage the system.

Use Case Diagram consists of the following components:

• Actor: Actors are external entities that interact with the system. These can include users, other systems, or hardware devices. In the context of a Use Case Diagram, actors initiate use cases and receive the outcomes. 
• Use Case: Use cases are like scenes in the play. They represent specific things your system can do.
• System Boundary: The system boundary is a visual representation of the scope or limits of the system you are modeling. It defines what is inside the system and what is outside. 

Let’s visually map out the relationships and interactions. Below is the textual description of what the diagram would look like:

• User (Staff or Student)
• Register New User
• Issue Library Card
• Request New Book
• Reserve Book
• Fill Feedback Form
• Manage Records
• Delete Records
• Update Database
• The system boundary will encompass all the use cases mentioned above.

Below is the use case diagram of a Library Management System

Use Case Diagram For Library Management System

Explanation of Use Case Diagram of a Library Management System

Here, we will understand the designing use case diagram for the library management system. Some scenarios of the system are as follows :

• For the user to get registered as a new user, registration forms are available that is needed to be fulfilled by the user.
• After registration, a library card is issued to the user by the librarian. On the library card, an ID is assigned to cardholder or user.
• After getting the library card, a new book is requested by the user as per there requirement.
• After, requesting, the desired book or the requested book is reserved by the user that means no other user can request for that book.
• Now, the user can renew a book that means the user can get a new due date for the desired book if the user has renewed them.
• If the user somehow forgets to return the book before the due date, then the user pays fine. Or if the user forgets to renew the book till the due date, then the book will be overdue and the user pays fine.
• User can fill the feedback form available if they want to.
• Librarian has a key role in this system. Librarian adds the records in the library database about each student or user every time issuing the book or returning the book, or paying fine.
• Librarian also deletes the record of a particular student if the student leaves the college or passed out from the college. If the book no longer exists in the library, then the record of the particular book is also deleted.
• Updating database is the important role of Librarian.

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Researcher profile system adoption and use across discipline and rank: A case study at the University of Manitoba

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Justin Fuhr , Caroline Monnin; Researcher profile system adoption and use across discipline and rank: A case study at the University of Manitoba. Quantitative Science Studies 2024; doi: https://doi.org/10.1162/qss_a_00319

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This study analyzes the adoption and use of researcher profile systems (ORCID, Scopus Author Profiles, Web of Science Researcher Profiles (formerly Publons), Google Scholar Profiles, and ResearchGate) across discipline and rank at the University of Manitoba (Winnipeg, Canada). The purpose of the study is to assess how many faculty members have registered for and use researcher profiles and whether there are any differences in use along discipline or academic rank. The adoption rate in the current study is compared with other international studies. At the University of Manitoba, there is variance in adoption between disciplines and ranks. When comparing profile systems by discipline, Google Scholar is the primary profile system for sciences and ORCID, Publons, and ResearchGate the primary profile systems for health sciences. There is variance of publication count between disciplines. Unsurprisingly, the number of publications increases as faculty are promoted. Among the studied profile systems, ORCID is not working as efficiently as it could be. Several recommendations to increase ORCID adoption are made, including mandatory public fields and suggestions for third-party integration. As part of increasing usage of profile systems, we see academic librarians as a key component of instruction and advocacy for graduate students and faculty.

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