Checkpoint

Where We've Been

• The first step in the Elaboration phase is to describe in detail the alternate and exception pathways through all of the use-cases in Increment 1.

• Categorization of business rules, but not UML artifacts, is key to the success and traceability of the project. Business rules are assigned to the use-cases that enforce them.

• We can develop a preliminary list of candidate classes by simply extracting nouns from the use-cases and applying various class filters.

• Classes are divided into three categories called stereotypes: entity, control, and boundary. Entity classes are of most interest to the project sponsors, but all classes are vital to ensuring the application's flexibility as the business evolves.

• Associations come in five forms: aggregation, composition, link, reflexive, and qualification. They are instantiated to provide links over which messages flow to carry out the functionality of the use-cases.

• A class has three compartments, containing the class's name, attributes, and operations. Not all of the detail for attributes and operations needs to be completely specified at this point in the project. However, this needs to be done before program code is generated.

• The analysis model for Remulak Productions is complete and includes the details of all use-case pathways, the results of the class identification process and association assignments, and the detailed description of multiplicity.

Where We're Going Next

In the next chapter we:

• Begin a high-level prototype effort for some of the use-case pathways.

• Create screen flow structure charts (storyboards) before creating the prototype.

• Identify ways to use the use-cases and actors to match navigational requirements with the prototype.

• Create screen dialogs to get users' perspectives on the anticipated goals of the user interface and what they expect it to do.

• Modify UML artifacts to reflect what is learned in the prototyping process.

• Examine the need for change control and the ability to maintain traceability throughout the project deliverables.