Exercises Chapter 4

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Chapter 4 -- Exercises

A. Investigate the Web site for Rational Software (www.rational.com) and its
repository of information about UML. Write a paragraph news brief on the current
state of UML (e.g., the current version and when it will be released; future
improvements; etc.).

Rational software is based on the theory and structure of UML, however UML is simply
a tool to document system design. Rational goes another step and allows the user to
design software with additional business designs and components, as well as facilitates
communication and organization of the project. These additional functions create an
effective tool for enterprise level application.
The Unified Modeling Language (UML) is the industry-standard language
for specifying, visualizing, constructing, and documenting the artifacts of software
systems. It simplifies the complex process of software design, making a "blueprint" for
construction. For database professionals UML can be used for database design. Using the
UML for database design allows the business and application teams who are already
using the UML for their designs to share a common language and to communicate with
the database team.
The Unified Modeling Language (UML) is a widely used standard in the software
industry for modeling software. It helps practitioners visualize, communicate, and
implement their designs. UML 2.0 is the first major revision to the standard since its
inception in 1997. The new specification is designed to support a number of model-
driven development paradigms, including Model-Driven Architecture (MDA) as defined
by the Object Management Group (OMG). The UML is an integral component of IBM's
ongoing commitment to supporting open standards in the software industry.
Latest news according the Rational website, although very technical for someone
new to UML.
On November 18, 2003, IBM initiated a new open source project within
Eclipse.org, focusing on implementing a metamodel and a set of APIs for UML 2.0. This
project, which is an Eclipse Tools sub-project, is an EMF-based implementation of the
UML 2.0 metamodel for the Eclipse platform.
The objectives of this project are to provide a useable implementation of the
metamodel to support the development of modeling tools, a common XMI schema to
facilitate interchange of semantic models, test cases as a means of validating the
specification, and validation rules as a means of defining and enforcing levels of
compliance.

B. Investigate the Object Management Group. Write a brief memo describing what
it is, its purpose, and its influence on UML and the object approach to systems
development. (Hint: A good resource is www.omg.org.)

OMGs MDA (Model Driven Architecture) aims to build industry standards for design
architecture that will utilize existing architecture, and allow effective future expansion.
MDA is based on the concept of modeling with UML. At the heart of MDA is an
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approach to design based on treating it as a product, rather than a process. Non-MDA
approaches treat design as a process in which developers apply their expertise to
handcraft elegant solutions from often ill-defined problems. The result is running code.
The design is not captured explicitly, but instead smeared across the code as a set of
results of a skilled thinking process.
In an MDA approach, promulgated by OMG and based on the work of Shlaer and
Mellor, and others, the design is itself a product that is expressed as a set of formal
mapping rules. Examples of such rules are "Turn an application class into a class in the
implementation with a container for its instances" and "Turn each transition on a
statechart diagram into a tuple in a linked list defining the transition and the procedure to
call to execute actions". These rules are the design, and once they are executed against an
application model that captures a problem, the result is (more or less) running code.
In MDA the application model is generalized as a platform-independent model1,
or PIM, usually visualized using standard UML, and the framework for formal
transformation rules is currently being standardized as the QVT (Query, Views, and
Transforms) specification. The result of the transformation can either be another,
platform-specific, model (PSM), or components of the target application, such as
database schemas, deployment scripts, test scripts, or indeed executable code. In the latter
case, the PIM must be behaviorally complete, defining business logic in terms of abstract
actions.
With its rich palette and middleware independence, UML forms the foundation of
OMG's Model Driven Architecture (MDA). In fact, a UML model can be either platform-
independent or platform-specific, as we choose, and the MDA development process uses
both of these forms: Every MDA standard or application is based, normatively, on a
Platform-Independent Model (PIM), which represents its business functionality and
behavior very precisely but does not include technical aspects. From the PIM, MDA-
enabled development tools follow OMG-standardized mappings to produce one or more
Platform-Specific Models (PSMs), also in UML, one for each target platform that the
developer chooses. (This conversion step is highly automated, but not magic: Before the
tool produces a PSM, the developer must annotate the base PIM to produce a more
specific but still platform-independent PIM that includes details of desired semantics, and
guides choices that the tool will have to make. Because of the similarities among
middleware platforms of a given genre - component-based, or messaging-based, for
example - this guidance can be included in a PIM without rendering it platform-specific.
Still, developers will have to fine-tune the produced PSMs to some extent, more in early
days of MDA but less and less as tools and algorithms advance.)



C. Draw a use-case diagram and a set of activity diagrams for the process of buying
glasses from the viewpoint of the patient. The first step is to see an eye doctor who
will give you a prescription. Once you have a prescription, you go to a optical
dispensary, where you select your frames and place the order for your glasses. Once
the glasses have been made, you return to the store for a fitting and pay for the
glasses.

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D. Create a set of detail use-case descriptions for the process of buying glasses in
Exercise C.


1. The system boundary statement should include all steps involved in
determining the need through final payment for eyeglasses. Excluded would
be any diagnosis or prescription from the doctor for other eye related
problems; excluded would be all issues pertaining to driving, flying, walking,
or taking a taxi to the store; excluded would be any calls to see if the glasses
are ready or visits prior to the glasses being ready; purchase of other
equipment such as an eyeglass case; and issues of checks bouncing or credit
cards being overcharged. Individual students may see differently what exactly
is included and what is excluded. The key, though, is identifying some items
that are not to be included in the system. It will be interesting to see how
many in the class believe that the going to the doctor, going to the store, and
returning to the store are inside versus outside the boundary of the system.
This would represent a good in class discussion opportunity focusing on why
you might include or exclude these.

2. The primary actors include the purchaser, the doctor, the eyeglass store
employees. The instructor will have to judge any others that the student might
identify (e.g. the subcontractor who receives the prescription and grinds the
lenses) and consider whether these actors are inside or outside of the boundary
of the system.

3. Each of the main steps should generate one or more goals. The prescription
should be accurate; the frames should be compatible with the lenses, should
be affordable and within the appropriate style range as viewed by the
customer; the fitting should assure that all elements of the glasses are
appropriate; the payment should conclude the transaction such that the store
receives appropriate funds and the customer receives the glasses and a receipt.
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4. The overview of the major cases will include the use case name, ID number,
type, primary actor (the customer in this situation as defined in the problem),
and a brief description. There are five logical actions in the case (and three
transportation activities):

Go to eye doctor
o Receive prescription
Go to glasses store
o Select frames
o Place order
Return to glasses store
o Receive fitting
o Pay for glasses

E. Draw a use case diagram and a set of activity diagrams for the following dentist
office system, but do not bother to identify the flow of events within each use case.
Whenever new patients are seen for the first time, they complete a patient
information form that asks their name, address, phone number and brief medical
history, which are stored in the patient information file. When a patient calls to
schedule a new appointment or change an existing appointment, the receptionist
checks the appointment file for an available time. Once a good time is found for the
patient, the appointment is scheduled. If the patient is a new patient, an incomplete
entry is made in the patient file; the full information will be collected when they
arrive for their appointment. Because appointments are often made so far in
advance, the receptionist usually mails a reminder postcard to each patient two
weeks before their appointment.


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F. Create a set of detail use-case descriptions for the dentist office system in Exercise
E.

1. It may be challenging to delineate the boundary. Note that managing the
dental office staff or advertising for new customers should clearly be outside
this system.

2. The problem identifies this as a dental office system. However, the actions
are better described as a scheduling or medical records system. Actors should
include the prospective patient, the patient (a subset of prospective patients),
office staff, and, perhaps, the dentist.

3. Each step should trigger one or more goals. The new appointment must not
conflict with earlier scheduled appointments (other metrics will vary by
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office), collecting information should result in a complete and accurate record,
the mailed appointment should occur within the parameters listed and should
result in decrease in missed appointments.

4. Students should identify the following high level tasks:

See new patients
o Schedule new appointment
o Collect full patient information
o Mail appointment reminder

Note that the rest of the contingencies and conditions should be viewed as
expansions of these basic activities. Also note that the steps are not
presented in typical logical sequence in the problem gathering patient
information is presented first, but will be conducted after the new
appointment is scheduled.


G. Draw a use-case diagram and a set of activity diagrams for an online university
registration system. The system should enable the staff of each academic
department to examine the courses offered by their department, add and remove
courses, and change the information about them (e.g., the maximum number of
students permitted). It should permit students to examine currently available
courses, add and drop courses to and from their schedules, and examine the courses
for which they are enrolled. Department staff should be able to print a variety of
reports about the courses and the students enrolled in them. The system should
ensure that no student takes too many courses and that students who have any
unpaid fees are not permitted to register (assume that fees data are maintained by
the universitys financial office, which the registration system accesses but does not
change).


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H. Create a set of detail use-case descriptions for the online university registration
system in Exercise G.

Note also that the functionality available to department staff is listed in two separate
sections items 1-3 then later items 4-5.

Department Staff

1. Examine departmental courses

2. Add and remove courses

3. Change information about courses

Assuming a database with a table for courses, the first three activities should
involve selecting courses by department of the information requestor. The first
function would relate to a list command in SQL or a related language. How
much information to display (numbers only, numbers and titles, numbers, titles,
and full descriptions) may be pre-specified or left for run-time menu options for
the user. A blank, possibly pre-formatted screen should be available to accept
new course information; matching by course name or number should bring a
current course for deleting (removing) or for revising and re-storing.

4. Print reports about courses

5. Print reports about students enrolled in courses

Assuming a database with tables for courses, students, and enrollments, these
reports should be designed to appropriately merge tables and allow for user
specification of additional selection criteria for students/courses or for full output
of all details.
Students may answer this question in terms of step-by-step what the
department user must do in order to achieve these tasks without reference to the
database functionality embedded in the application.
Instructors may want to select this exercise if the preponderance of
students have already taken a database course. Alternatively, this will be a
challenging exercise for students who have not taken a database course, but can
be a good precursor to membership in such a course.

Students

1. Examine currently offered courses

This should draw information from an offered courses table. Exceptions should
be noted in terms of things like courses offered but not available to a given
student (e.g. only for those in a different major thus needing petitioning for entry;
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those that are already fully enrolled; those that are for different student levels such
as for seniors only; etc.)

2. Add and drop courses from their schedule

ensure that no student takes too many courses
ensure that students may not register if they have unpaid fees

This should enable students to add or delete records from the enrollment table.
Data regarding their identifier, the identifier of the course, and any other
enrollment data should be added to the record. It should also add one student to
the courses offered tables enrollment counter.
This task will also require utilization of application business logic for
integrity constraints. Too many course restrictions will require determining the
proper upper limit of courses or units the student is allowed to take (as this will
vary based on different business rules GPA, probation, major, etc.) then
comparing this with the prior number committed to and the new total if the
requested course is added. The unpaid fees restriction will require matching the
student id with the identifier in the financial office database and returning an OK
flag or a set of values pertaining to the unpaid fee indication.

3. Examine courses in which they are enrolled

This task will involve providing a listing of the course information from the
course table that matches those listed for the student in the enrollment table.


I. Draw a use-case diagram and a set of activity diagrams for the following system.
A Real Estate Inc. (AREI) sells houses. People who want to sell their houses sign a
contract with AREI and provide information on their house. This information is
kept in a database by AREI and a subset of this information is sent to the citywide
multiple listing service used by all real estate agents. AREI works with two types of
potential buyers. Some buyers have an interest in one specific house. In this case,
AREI prints information from its database, which the real estate agent uses to help
show the house to the buyer (a process beyond the scope of the system to be
modeled).Other buyers seek AREIs advice in finding a house that meets their
needs. In this case, the buyer completes a buyer information form that is entered
into a buyer data base, and AREI real estate agents use its information to search
AREIs data base and the multiple listing service for houses that meet their needs.
The results of these searches are printed and used to help the real estate agent show
houses to the buyer.

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J. Create a set of detail use-case descriptions for the real estate system in Exercise J.

Major use cases are listed by actor:

Sellers

1. Sign contract

Possible expansion steps include: present contract, discuss key items, negotiate
any specifics such as percentage commission, finalize contract contents, seller
signs contract, AREI employee signs contract, perhaps a witness also signs, dates
are included, the contract is filed (how would this differ if on-line?)

2. Provide information regarding house

Students may list some of the specific details regarding the house. Will the
information be written on paper then entered later by data entry specialists, or
entered directly onto a computer screen?

AREI

1. Add information to database

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This may be a separate step, if data is gathered manually, or it could be an
example of a use-case activity with multiple actors.

2. Extract subset and send to multiple listing service.

The subset is assumed to be constant among houses, therefore the selection logic
will be included in the extraction program. Is the data printed and sent on or is it
sent by email or other electronic means?

3. Print specific house information (for showing to buyer)

Use house identifier to locate all data in database pertaining to a particular house,
print the data, and share with buyer/buyer agent.

4. Service general buyer process -- note this sequence is complex enough to possibly
warrant a separate lower level use case.

4A. Adds buyer information form to database

Aame issues as with adding seller information

4b. Search AREI database for buyer desire/specific house match

Discuss preferences with client, formulate selection values, enter selection
values, and extract data subset. The assumption is that this will be
displayed on-screen prior to printing in step 4d.

Students may make the other assumption, that printing results directly
following the extraction. There would be advantages to reviewing the
displayed results to delete those not appropriate and, potentially, to
redefine the search values before printing the hard copy.

4c. Search multiple listing database for buyer desire/specific house
match

Same issues as 4b with the additional complexities of looping through a
set of databases if these have not been unified and the various protocols
and methods this might theoretically entail.

4d. Print AREI database search results

print the results, retrieve from printer, discuss with client

4e. Print multiple listing database search results.

print the results, retrieve from printer, discuss with client
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Buyer

1. Completes buyer information form issues similar to seller step 2.

K. Perform a verification and validation walkthrough of the functional models of
the real estate system described in exercises I and J.

In order to verify and validate the functional model, a set of rules have been defined to
ensure the consistency among the activity diagram (described in I), the use-case
description (described in J), and the use-case diagram (defined in I).

First, when comparing an activity diagram to a use-case description, there should be at
least one event recorded in the normal flow of events, subflows, or alternate/exceptional
flows of the use-case description for each activity or action that is included on an activity
diagram, and each event should be associated with an activity or action.

Second, all objects portrayed as an object node in an activity diagram must be mentioned
in an event in the normal flow of events, subflows, or alternate/exceptional flows of the
use-case description.

Third, sequential order of the events in a use-case description should occur in the same
sequential order of the activities contained in an activity diagram.

Fourth, when comparing a use-case description to a use-case diagram, there must be one
and only one use-case description for each use case, and vice versa.

Fifth, all actors listed in a use case description must be portrayed on the use-case
diagram. Furthermore, each one must have an association link that connects it to the use
case and must be listed with the association relationships in the use-case description. In
some organizations, we should also include the stakeholders listed in the use-case
description as actors in the use-case diagram.

Sixth, all other relationships listed in a use-case description (include, extend, and
generalization) must be portrayed on a use-case diagram.

Finally, there are many diagram-specific requirements that must be enforced. For
example, in an activity diagram a decision node can be connected to activity or action
nodes only with a control flow, and for every decision node there should be a matching
merge node. Every type of node and flow has different restrictions.



L. Draw a use-case diagram and create a set of activity diagrams for the following
system. A Video Store (AVS) runs a series of fairly standard video stores. Before a
video can be put on the shelf, it must be cataloged and entered into the video
database. Every customer must have a valid AVS customer card in order to rent a
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video. Customers rent videos for three days at a time. Every time a customer rents a
video, the system must ensure that they do not have any overdue videos. If so, the
overdue videos must be returned and an overdue fee paid before customer can rent
more videos. Likewise, if the customer has returned overdue videos, but has not
paid the overdue fee, the fee must be paid before new videos can be rented. Every
morning, the store manager prints a report that lists overdue videos. If a video is
two or more days overdue, the manager calls the customer to remind them to return
the video. If a video is returned in damaged condition, the manager removes it from
the video database and may sometimes charge the customer.



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M. Create a set of detail use-case descriptions for the video system in Exercise L.

Major use cases are listed by actor:

Video store staff

Catalogue video
Enter video into database
Put video on shelf

Customer

Obtain an account
Rent a video
Check for overdue videos
o Receive overdue video
o Receive overdue video fine

Store manager
Print overdue video list (daily)
o Sort overdue video records/items by length of time overdue
o Print list
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Call overdue video clients (two or more days late)
Deal with damaged video
o Inspect videos upon return
o Remove damaged videos from database
o Prepare customer damage charges (rules not specified)


N. Perform a verification and validation walkthrough of the functional models of
the video store system described in exercises L and M.

In order to verify and validate the functional model, a set of rules have been defined to
ensure the consistency among the activity diagram (described in L), the use-case
description (described in M), and the use-case diagram (defined in L).

First, when comparing an activity diagram to a use-case description, there should be at
least one event recorded in the normal flow of events, subflows, or alternate/exceptional
flows of the use-case description for each activity or action that is included on an activity
diagram, and each event should be associated with an activity or action.

Second, all objects portrayed as an object node in an activity diagram must be mentioned
in an event in the normal flow of events, subflows, or alternate/exceptional flows of the
use-case description.

Third, sequential order of the events in a use-case description should occur in the same
sequential order of the activities contained in an activity diagram.

Fourth, when comparing a use-case description to a use-case diagram, there must be one
and only one use-case description for each use case, and vice versa.

Fifth, all actors listed in a use case description must be portrayed on the use-case
diagram. Furthermore, each one must have an association link that connects it to the use
case and must be listed with the association relationships in the use-case description. In
some organizations, we should also include the stakeholders listed in the use-case
description as actors in the use-case diagram.

Sixth, all other relationships listed in a use-case description (include, extend, and
generalization) must be portrayed on a use-case diagram.

Finally, there are many diagram-specific requirements that must be enforced. For
example, in an activity diagram a decision node can be connected to activity or action
nodes only with a control flow, and for every decision node there should be a matching
merge node. Every type of node and flow has different restrictions.




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O. Draw a use-case diagram and a set of activity diagrams for a health club
membership system. When members join the health club, they pay a fee for a
certain length of time. Most memberships are for one year, but memberships as
short as two months are available. Throughout the year, the health club offers a
variety of discounts on their regular membership prices (e.g., two memberships for
the price of one for Valentines Day). It is common for members to pay different
amounts for the same length of membership. The club wants to mail out reminder
letters to members asking them to renew their memberships one month before their
memberships expire. Some members have become angry when asked to renew at a
much higher rate then their original membership contract, so the club wants to
track the price paid so that the manager can override the regular prices with special
prices when members are asked to renew. The system must track these new prices
so that renewals can be processed accurately. One of the problems in the health club
industry is the high turnover rate of members. While some members remain active
for many years, about half of the members do not renew their memberships. This is
a major problem, because the health club spends a lot in advertising to attract each
new member. The manager wants the system to track each time a member comes
into the club. The system will then identify the heavy users, and generate a report so
the manager can ask them to renew their memberships early, perhaps offering them
a reduced rate for early renewal. Likewise, the system should identify members who
have not visited the club in more than a month, so the manager can call them and
attempt to re-interest them in the club.


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P. Create a set of detail use-case descriptions for the system in Exercise O.

Major use cases are listed by actor:

Members

Join club
o Pay fee that varies by membership length (should have look-up table or
equivalent logic for durations and price for each)
Calculate discount (should have look-up table or equivalent logic for discount
source and amount)

Club staff

Send reminder letters (one month before expiration)
o Calculate new rate
o Adjust for Manager overrides (where needed)
o Substitute override for renewal rate in letter (where needed)
o Send reminder letter

Manager

Override regular prices with special prices
o Observe current and renewal rates
o Set override rate (where judged to be warranted)
o Add override rate into database

Ask heavy users for early renewal
o Determine heavy users from report
o Adjust renewal price for heavy users
o Ask heavy users for renewal
o Determine non-users from report (zero uses in at least a month)
o Call non-users and attempt to persuade to increase use

Club staff/member (not clear in case who enters this data) maybe one or both; may
happen through automated source data entry, e.g. use of a smart card.

Add record to member-usage database (each time member uses club)


Club staff/manager (not clear in case who handles this task) could be one or the other or
both.

Prepare heavy user report
o Sort members by amount of usage
o Print heavy user report
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The second level activities provide the beginnings of detailed use cases where activities
in the case can be grouped into a higher level use case. For the other higher level
activities, students should provide more details based on their understanding of this sort
of business. Providing more detailed steps will vary with the students understanding of
business operations and the amount of detail they express.
This mini-case includes some activities that are not clearly attributed to any
particular actor. The students will probably sort this out in one or another manner. The
instructor should decide if only one of the directions to go is correct (and be prepared to
explain this to the students) or check to see which answers students come up with and ask
them for explanations. Clearly this is a case where in practice the analyst will return to
the users to ask for their preferences.


Q. Perform a verification and validation walkthrough of the functional models of
the health club membership system described in exercises O and P.

In order to verify and validate the functional model, a set of rules have been defined to
ensure the consistency among the activity diagram (described in O), the use-case
description (described in P), and the use-case diagram (defined in O).

First, when comparing an activity diagram to a use-case description, there should be at
least one event recorded in the normal flow of events, subflows, or alternate/exceptional
flows of the use-case description for each activity or action that is included on an activity
diagram, and each event should be associated with an activity or action.

Second, all objects portrayed as an object node in an activity diagram must be mentioned
in an event in the normal flow of events, subflows, or alternate/exceptional flows of the
use-case description.

Third, sequential order of the events in a use-case description should occur in the same
sequential order of the activities contained in an activity diagram.

Fourth, when comparing a use-case description to a use-case diagram, there must be one
and only one use-case description for each use case, and vice versa.

Fifth, all actors listed in a use case description must be portrayed on the use-case
diagram. Furthermore, each one must have an association link that connects it to the use
case and must be listed with the association relationships in the use-case description. In
some organizations, we should also include the stakeholders listed in the use-case
description as actors in the use-case diagram.

Sixth, all other relationships listed in a use-case description (include, extend, and
generalization) must be portrayed on a use-case diagram.

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Finally, there are many diagram-specific requirements that must be enforced. For
example, in an activity diagram a decision node can be connected to activity or action
nodes only with a control flow, and for every decision node there should be a matching
merge node. Every type of node and flow has different restrictions.



R. Draw a use-case diagram and set of activity diagrams for the following system.
Picnics R Us (PRU) is a small catering firm with five employees. During a typical
summer weekend, PRU caters fifteen picnics with twenty to fifty people each. The
business has grown rapidly over the past year and the owner wants to install a new
computer system for managing the ordering and buying process. PUR has a set of
ten standard menus. When potential customers call, the receptionist describes the
menus to them. If the customer decides to book a picnic, the receptionist records the
customer information (e.g., name, address, phone number, etc.) and the information
about the picnic (e.g., place, date, time, which one of the standard menus, total
price) on a contract. The customer is then faxed a copy of the contract and must
sign and return it along with a deposit (often a credit card or by check) before the
picnic is officially booked. The remaining money is collected when the picnic is
delivered. Sometimes, the customer wants something special (e.g., birthday cake). In
this case, the receptionist takes the information and gives it to the owner who
determines the cost; the receptionist then calls the customer back with the price
information. Sometimes the customer accepts the price, other times, the customer
requests some changes that have to go back to the owner for a new cost estimate.
Each week, the owner looks through the picnics scheduled for that weekend and
orders the supplies (e.g., plates) and food (e.g., bread, chicken) needed to make
them. The owner would like to use the system for marketing as well. It should be
able to track how customers learned about PUR,and identify repeat customers, so
that PUR can mail special offers to them. The owner also wants to track the picnics
on which PUR sent a contract, but the customer never signed the contract and
actually booked a picnic.


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S. Create a set of use-case descriptions for the system in Exercise R.

Major use cases are listed by actor:

PRU

Take orders
Buy supplies
Cater picnic (size: 20-50)
Collect payment (minus deposit)
Perform marketing tasks

Receiving Order Use Cases

Customer
o Calls in order
o Receives menu description (see Receptionist activity)
o Decides whether to books picnic
o Provides customer information (see Receptionist activity)
o Provides picnic information (see Receptionist activity)
o Provides special product information (see Receptionist activity)
o Receives fax of contract
o Signs contract
o Faxes contract to PRU
o Pays picnic deposit
Faxes credit card info
Sends check

Receptionist
o Describes menus (10 standard ones)
o Assists customer decision making (or waits)
o Records customer information (on contract)
o Records picnic information (on contract)
o Process special product (may go through iterations)
Gives special product information to owner (see owner activity)
o Receives special product cost information from owner
o Calls the customer back
o Provides special product cost information to client
o Client provides feedback regarding special product cost
information
o Faxes contract to customer

Owner
o Receives special product information
o Determines cost of special product
o Sends special product cost information to receptionist
Exercises Chapter 4
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Buying Supplies Use Cases

Owner
o Reads weekly orders
o Purchases materials
Purchases supplies
Purchases food

Marketing Use Cases

Owner
o Track customers learning about PRU
o Identify repeat customers
o Mail repeat customers special offers
o Identify customers who received but did not sign and return contracts



T. Perform a verification and validation walkthrough of the functional models of the
catering system described in exercises R and S.

In order to verify and validate the functional model, a set of rules have been defined to
ensure the consistency among the activity diagram (described in R), the use-case
description (described in S), and the use-case diagram (defined in R).

First, when comparing an activity diagram to a use-case description, there should be at
least one event recorded in the normal flow of events, subflows, or alternate/exceptional
flows of the use-case description for each activity or action that is included on an activity
diagram, and each event should be associated with an activity or action.

Second, all objects portrayed as an object node in an activity diagram must be mentioned
in an event in the normal flow of events, subflows, or alternate/exceptional flows of the
use-case description.

Third, sequential order of the events in a use-case description should occur in the same
sequential order of the activities contained in an activity diagram.

Fourth, when comparing a use-case description to a use-case diagram, there must be one
and only one use-case description for each use case, and vice versa.

Fifth, all actors listed in a use case description must be portrayed on the use-case
diagram. Furthermore, each one must have an association link that connects it to the use
case and must be listed with the association relationships in the use-case description. In
Exercises Chapter 4
Page 29
some organizations, we should also include the stakeholders listed in the use-case
description as actors in the use-case diagram.

Sixth, all other relationships listed in a use-case description (include, extend, and
generalization) must be portrayed on a use-case diagram.


U. Draw a use-case diagram and a set of activity diagrams for the following system.
Of-the-Month Club (OTMC) is an innovative young firm that sells memberships to
people who have an interest in certain products. People pay membership fees for
one year and each month receive a product by mail. For example, OTMC has a
coffee-of-the-month club that sends members one pound of special coffee each
month. OTMC currently has six memberships (coffee, wine, beer, cigars, flowers,
and computer games) each of which costs a different amount. Customers usually
belong to just one, but some belong to two or more. When people join OTMC, the
telephone operator records the name, mailing address, phone number, e-mail
address, credit card information, start date, and membership service(s) (e.g., coffee).
Some customers request a double or triple membership (e.g., two pounds of coffee,
three cases of beer). The computer game membership operates a bit differently from
the others. In this case, the member must also select the type of game (action,
arcade, fantasy/ science-fiction, educational, etc.) and age level. OTMC is planning
to greatly expand the number of memberships it offers (e.g., video games, movies,
toys, cheese, fruit, and vegetables) so the system needs to accommodate this future
expansion. OTMC is also planning to offer 3-month and 6-month memberships.

Exercises Chapter 4
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Exercises Chapter 4
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V. Create a set of detail use-case descriptions for the system in Exercise R.

Major use cases are listed by actor:

Note that many details of the case are values (such as the specific clubs) which should be
captured in database or tables as these may change over time. An interesting question to
pose to students will be what to do with the parts of the system pertaining to computer
games if these change from selling them as products on CD to providing access for a
period of time to a web-site.

OTMC

Sell memberships
Provide products to members (likely outside scope of the present system)

Exercises Chapter 4
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Customer

Joins club
o Provides customer information
o Provides membership services information (e.g. which clubs joined)
(For each service) Provides multiple membership information
(For each service) Provides membership length desired
(For computer game membership) Selects game type(s)
Pay membership
o Check customer memberships
o Note cost of each membership
o Calculate total costs
o Send invoice to customer
Receive products (monthly)

Telephone Operator
o Facilitates customer joining club
Receives customer information
Receives membership services information
(For each service) Receives multiple membership
information
(For each service) Receives membership length desired
information
(For each computer game membership) Receives game
type information

Note: Items in red are part of the to-be system or may be stubs programmed for future
expansion. It is a business decision whether to prepare for the business policy changes in
the new system or to wait for later updates. This presents an interesting discussion to
have with students regarding how they want to handle future anticipated features which
may or may not be realized by the organization. My own inclination in this case would
be to include them in the design, but this is most likely something that business sponsors
may have to decide.


W. Perform a verification and validation walkthrough of the functional models of
the Of-the-Month Club system described in exercises U and V.

In order to verify and validate the functional model, a set of rules have been defined to
ensure the consistency among the activity diagram (described in U), the use-case
description (described in V), and the use-case diagram (defined in U).

First, when comparing an activity diagram to a use-case description, there should be at
least one event recorded in the normal flow of events, subflows, or alternate/exceptional
flows of the use-case description for each activity or action that is included on an activity
diagram, and each event should be associated with an activity or action.
Exercises Chapter 4
Page 33

Second, all objects portrayed as an object node in an activity diagram must be mentioned
in an event in the normal flow of events, subflows, or alternate/exceptional flows of the
use-case description.

Third, sequential order of the events in a use-case description should occur in the same
sequential order of the activities contained in an activity diagram.

Fourth, when comparing a use-case description to a use-case diagram, there must be one
and only one use-case description for each use case, and vice versa.

Fifth, all actors listed in a use case description must be portrayed on the use-case
diagram. Furthermore, each one must have an association link that connects it to the use
case and must be listed with the association relationships in the use-case description. In
some organizations, we should also include the stakeholders listed in the use-case
description as actors in the use-case diagram.

Sixth, all other relationships listed in a use-case description (include, extend, and
generalization) must be portrayed on a use-case diagram.