Use Case Concepts using a Clear, Consistent, Concise Ontology

By: Guy Genilloud, William F. Frank

Abstract

The UML ontology is unnatural and limited (at odds with the categories of thought people use for engineering in natural languages such as Japanese and in mathematics). As a consequence, the UML standard confuses use case specifications, types, and instances, as well as confusing a use case model with what it is a model of. The Extends relationship illustrates these problems. ISO's RM-ODP provides a richer ontology based on logical theory. ODP explains Extends as a relationship between specifications, while opening the door for relationships between the actions so specified, and reconciling diagrammatic and textual use case techniques.

Cite as:

Guy Genilloud, William F. Frank, “Use Case Concepts using a Clear, Consistent, Concise Ontology”, Journal of Object Technology, Volume 4, no. 6 (August 2005), pp. 95-107, doi:10.5381/jot.2005.4.6.a8.

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The JOT Journal   |   ISSN 1660-1769   |   DOI 10.5381/jot   |   AITO   |   Open Access   |    Contact