Software Development with Use Cases - Research Paper Example

Use Cases Insert Insert Thoroughly describe (in a one to two 2) page narrative) a use case, complete with typical and alternate courses, which documents the event of a bank customer withdrawing money from an ATM. A use case refers to those steps that illustrate how a role is going to interact with an actor so as to complete an objective. It is majorly applied in software development where an actor would refer to a system or a user (Jacobson & Ng, 2005). The diagrams in use case map how a system’s client interacts with its use cases. The case in hand seeks to illustrate how a use case diagrams models the process of a client withdrawing money from a bank through the ATM. They demonstrate interactions are happening in the system and the users but do not provide the details. The diagrams also have attachments of informal text giving extra details similar to that which exists in the requirements document. Their level of use is normally during the analysis phase of the software. Through it, as designers the goal of meeting the demands of the system remains in scope. Figure 1: Use Case diagram for Withdrawal in an ATM System In figure 1 above, the stick figure shows an actor playing the role of an entity external to the system and its interactions. In this case, the actor is either another system or a person. The user in the ATM system can withdraw cash (Zhang & Yang, 2012). In other cases, the user is not always the real person, but it may consist of the duties played by a real person when in interaction with the ATM system. Other actors present in an ATM system include administrator who fills the cash in the dispenser before work commences. Figure 2: Shows a use diagram for withdrawal in bank Conditions for withdrawing from the ATM The client has to possess an ATM card from the respective bank The system has to have cash The network connection in the banking system has to be active There has to be an option to withdraw the cash from the ATM Events that occur until you withdraw from the ATM The client inserts their card into the slot in the ATM that reads the card. The bank then has to perform synchronization between the ATM and the bank through providing an identifier for the session. The system then deciphers the information in the ATM card before authenticating the customer to perform their transaction at the ATM. The client will then select the option to withdraw which will provide them with the options of how much to withdraw. The system will compare the users wishful amount with what it possess before allowing them to withdraw. Otherwise, if the amount is more than what they can withdraw, they will be requested to enter a smaller value. The ATM system will then eject the card from the bank. Dispense of cash takes place thus allowing the system to record a log of transaction for the withdrawal of that money. The latter marks the ends of the process. Thoroughly describe (in a one to two (1-2) page narrative) a use case dependency for making an account deposit. Illustrate this use case with Visio or a similar product. Figure 3: use case for account deposit The transaction on depositing cash through the ATM is mapped by a request to the client to select the type of the account for which to deposit to from available options. The customer then enters the amount they wish to deposit through the ATM (Salerno, 2014). The transaction will then initiate a session with the bank to ascertain if the user can deposit through the ATM. After verification, the user is then allowed to deposit cash into the account by dropping the envelope containing the money on the deposit slot. After receipt of the envelope, the ATM system then sends a message to the bank for purposes of ascertaining that the bank is in the position of adding the deposited amount to the client’s account. There is a manual verification process of the amount in the envelope is done by an operator. The latter has to be done after completion of the entire process. The client is issued with a receipt from the Automated Teller Machine then the whole process is recorded in a log in the ATM. The client also has the power to stop the transaction from taking place through the use of the cancel option available to them. However, this has to be done by depositing the cash in the slot. In addition, the Automated Teller Machine system is in the position of canceling a transaction from taking place after a particular period of waiting for the envelope. Thoroughly describe (in a one to two (1-2) page narrative) a use case dependency for making an account transfer. Illustrate this use case with Visio or a similar product. Figure 4: Use case for money transfer between accounts The initial step in the transfer of accounts is the client selecting the option to transfer funds. The client has to possess different accounts. From the menu of options, they have to choose the account to transfer the amount from and the account to transfer to. They are then presented with a keyboard to allow them enter the amount they wish to move. If the bank makes an approval, then the transaction will proceed. The latter will make the decision based on the information send to it which includes the card number of the customer, the pin, the account selected and the amount of cash they wish to transfer. A receipt is issued by the ATM system for approval by the bank. In case of a failure in delivering the correct pin, the transaction is not approved and instead, the user is presented with an extension to execute. Additional disapprovals will be sending to the session belonging to the client. As a result, that will start the extension for a failure in the transaction. Only approved transactions will be logged in as completed. Thoroughly identify and explain at least one (1) ethical issue that the use case exposes in connection with the development or use of the ATM system. Ethics is a concept illustrating what is wrong and what is right. It helps in determination of behavior that is acceptable (Kizza, 2013). The use of use cases in Automatic Teller Machines has simplified understanding of events that take place in an ATM. It makes it easier to comprehend when and the conditions that lead to a particular kind of behavior. The vital issue here is on the ability of the use cases to make it easier for non-tech stakeholders to understand the functionality of the system. However, misuse of the use cases in representing the ATM system can lead to adverse problems. In regard to that, the entire use patterns of the ATM are totally out to the entire population. The exposure of the kind of technology use may be a threat when people with ill intentions use it. The latter may be detrimental to the bank in question if it causes damage or harm to the machines, the users or the staff. Users, in this case, are quite aware of the detailed functionality of the ATM and how long their actions will span. Thus, it has the advantage of building confidence in the use of the system that may be its downfall. Conclusion Use cases are vital UML components for modeling the how actors interact with the system through the use of various actions. In our case, the use case has been useful in bringing to the limelight the functionality of the ATM in regard to how the users withdraw cash, make deposits and transfer money between various accounts. The later advantage makes stakeholders quickly understand the functionality of the system so as to make decisions without the understanding of the technicalities of it. However, this transparency if used wrongly by persons with ill intentions, it could destroy the system completely. References Jacobson, I., & Ng, P. (2005). Aspect-oriented software development with use cases. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Addison-Wesley. Kizza, J. (2013). Ethical and social issues in the information age. London: Springer London. Salerno, C. (2014). ATM. Georgetown, KY: Georgetown Review Press. Zhang, J., & Yang, Y. (2012). Anti Trailing of ATM System Design. AMR, 468-471, 439-442. doi:10.4028/www.scientific.net/amr.468-471.439 Read More