Use Cases: Patterns and Blueprints

Chapter 11. Use-Case Generalization: Classification and Inheritance

Generalization Between Use Cases

In a use-case model, sometimes several use cases model the same kind of usages. For example, there will be different kinds of account transactions in an ATM, such as deposit and withdrawal, or different kinds of telephone calls between subscribers in a telephone exchange. To capture that a collection of use cases model the same kind of usage of the system, we introduce a new use case into the model. In this new use case, we provide a general description of this kind of usage, stating that it describes the commonalities and the general pattern of this usage. Then we define generalization relationships from the other use cases to this new use case ...