Use Cases are like blueprints for software—they outline how users will interact with a system to achieve specific goals. But within these blueprints, there are different types of use cases, each with its role. Let us see in this article what are Concrete, Abstract, Base, and Addition Use Cases:
What are Concrete Use Cases?
These use cases represent specific interactions between actors (users or external systems) and the system. Concrete use cases describe a sequence of steps that achieve a specific goal for the actor. They are the most detailed and specific type of use cases, often used to capture the system’s primary functions.
For Example:
Use Case Name: Purchase Product
Actor: Customer
Description: This use case describes the process a customer follows to purchase a product from the e-commerce website.
It includes steps such as browsing products, adding items to the shopping cart, entering payment information, and completing the purchase.
What are Abstract Use Cases?
Abstract use cases are more general than concrete use cases and represent a high-level goal or functionality that may be refined into multiple concrete use cases. Abstract use cases are useful for capturing commonalities across multiple concrete use cases and for organizing use cases into a hierarchical structure.
For Example:
Use Case Name: Manage Inventory
Actor: Administrator
Description: This abstract use case represents the high-level functionality related to managing the inventory of products.
It can be refined into concrete use cases such as Add Product to Inventory, Remove Product from Inventory, and Update Product Quantity.
What are Base Use Cases?
Base use cases are similar to abstract use cases but are more detailed and closer to concrete use cases. Base use cases are used to define common behavior that is shared among several concrete use cases. They serve as templates or guidelines for more specific use cases.
For Example:
Use Case Name: Authenticate User
Actor: User
Description: This base use case describes the basic functionality of authenticating a user.
It includes steps such as entering username and password, verifying credentials, and granting access to the system.
What are Addition Use Cases?
Addition use cases are specialized use cases that extend the behavior of a base use case. Addition use cases are used to model optional or alternative behavior that is not always present in the base use case. Addition use cases are linked to base use cases using the “extend” relationship in use case diagrams.
For Example:
Use Case Name: Apply Discount
Actor: Customer
Description: This addition use case extends the Purchase Product use case to include the optional step of applying a discount code during checkout.
It allows customers to receive a discount on their purchase if they have a valid discount code.