- Understand the basics of the Use Case model
- Learn the strengths and limits of use cases from a testing perspective
- Learn how to assess specific use cases for correctness and completeness
- Learn how use cases become the basis of test analysis and test design
The use case model is a very useful tool for gathering, defining, and documenting the functional requirements of a system or application. In many organizations, it has taken the place of the classic many-hundred-page requirements document. As a tester, you need to understand the general characteristics of the use case model, its strengths and weaknesses, and, most importantly, how it is being used in the project you are working on. Several different styles of use cases are used in system development, and you need to be knowledgeable about them.
As requirements, documented in a use case model, are being created, testers help ensure the use case model is complete, correct, and consistent. Discovering defects in the model, and in specific use cases, early will prevent defects from being introduced into the design and code.
Once use cases are tested, then the system or application is built from them. The use case model becomes the basis for functional testing. Testers analyze the details of each use case and create one or more test cases that will be used to verify that the design and code are correct.
This course is appropriate for anyone involved in using the Use Case model for software development. Novice and experienced software testers as well as developers, test and development managers, customers, and project managers can benefit from this course. A background of basic development processes is helpful but not essential.
