Rating: 
Summary: The Good Books are Always Dog-earred
Review: Certainly my copy of "Writing Effective Use Cases" is beginning to show signs of being pulled off the shelf numerous times during every project I work on. Cockburn's text-based approach to use cases is very well thought-out, very practical, and non-dogmatic. We use his detail level icons (cloud, kit, sea-level, fish, clam) as a sort of verbal short-hand to keep everybody focused on the correct level of detail even when we aren't actively writing use cases! Remember that text use cases are just as effective for process evaluation and re-design as they are for software development projects, and that use case development almost always goes better in a workshop environment.
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Summary: Use cases done right - sensible and effective approach
Review: Finally! A book that corrects the numerous problems with use cases - or shall I say the mis use of use cases (no pun intended). Here are some common problems that this book will help you to avoid (there are many more, but these spring immediately to mind):PROBLEM: A horde of analysts descend and produce reams of paper that are little more than stick figures and ellipses. They are, well, of little value because they are devoid of any real information and too often confusing. The other side of this problem is an unmanageable number of these "use cases" are produced with inconsistent detail, or an overwhelming amount of detail crammed into a single use case. RESULT: Developers have no clear idea about how to proceed and much rework is done to get the needed information (or developers do proceed and create something not envisioned). PROBLEM: Use cases are considered to be the requirements specification. RESULT: Developers build something based solely on behavior, leaving out functions and features that customers want or need, and most likely not suited to requirements. PROBLEM: [Related to the preceding] Test plans and test cases for systems built upon the shaky foundation of bad use cases cannot be properly developed. RESULT: A hit-or-miss test cycle that is almost certainly destined to miss a large number of defects (functional and operational). Mr. Cockburn's approach to use cases will allow you to sidestep not only the more common problems associated with improper use cases, but hundreds more than will crop up unless the value and context of use cases in the development or project life cycle is understood. Here are some of the key points in this book that make it so valuable: use cases are but one element of requirements and the hub-and-spoke model given in the book places them into proper context, properly developed use cases are written documents, not diagrams (more about that later), use cases are NOT the requirements document, properly formed use cases DO have a set structure and different levels of precision in accordance with well-defined rules, and the use case creation process needs to be carefully managed because, like software source code, you need to ensure that you're working from the right revision. Part 1 of this book provides clear guidance for writing, managing and using use cases. Part 2 of the book is especially valuable because it addresses frequently discussed topics. Part 3 is a comprehensive list of reminders and rules that will guide you, and Appendix A is a succinct discussion on use cases in UML. A few other things that set this book apart: there are numerous "short stories" throughout the book. Each of these stories reinforce information and concepts, and also epitomize Mr. Cockburn's recurring advice to keep things short - he shows by example how to cram clear information into brief chunks of writing. He also provides a summary of pass/fail tests for use case fields that will make inspections and walkthroughs easy. One piece of trivia answered a question that had been bothering be for years, "why the emphasis on stick figures and ellipses?" The answer: the CASE tool industry, which sold graphical tools, had a lot of influence on the emphasis placed on graphical depictions vs. text-based use cases. This book will set you on the right course and not one that has evolved from vendor agendas. I personally think this is the best book on use cases and is the only one I recommend to clients and associates.
Rating:
Summary: Finally - Something I can use
Review: Finally, a book that explains, in plain english, what a use case is and how to write one. I just got a new position at work and since writing use cases is foreign ground for me, I tried to read a few books to get a grasp of how to write a use case. Unfortunately all I kept finding were books on syntax, diagramming or even worse - books to cure insomnia. This book stays open on my desk and has helped me to succeed at my new position.
Rating:
Summary: Understanding the principles behind writing use cases
Review: I had been looking at the value of writing use cases for some time, but hadn't done so because I couldn't visualize clearly how they added value or what was the best format, text or symbols. "Writing Effective Use Cases" answered my specific questions, which is why I'm adding a 26th review to the 25 excellent previous ones. * How do I apply use cases to non-business software?
"Writing Effective Use Cases" includes 40 completed use cases related to a range of activities from Register Arrival of a Box to Apply a (System) Lock. That gave me a better feel for how use cases work than the usual Bank Customer Withdraws Cash or Online Customer Makes Puchase. As far as system software is concerned, Cockburn says: "Occasionally I hear someone complain that it is hard to describe the requirements for a tape merge operation or a compiler with use cases. I wholeheartedly agree. Those are best described using algebraic or tabular forms." * Can I go straight from use cases to design?
One of the misconceptions I had was that you could design directly from use cases. Cockburn goes to some trouble to explain that there is no one-to-one mapping between use cases and code, although use cases do make an excellent basis for test cases. "The design doesn't cluster by use case. Blindly following the use case structure leads to functional decomposition designs (this is really of concern to object-oriented and component design teams.)" * How do use cases relate to requirements?
The most valuable concept I obtained from "Writing Effective Use Cases" was that the primary value of use cases is to tease out the complete requirements, including how failures should be handled, from the potential customers of the system. "[The use case] becomes a communication device between the different stakeholders on the project". Recommended by the author:
Mastering the Requirements Process by Suzanne and James Robertson
Rating:
Summary: The most effective use case book.
Review: I had been writing use cases for some time when I stumbled upon the first draft of this book, which Mr. Cockburn very graciously made publicly available on his website (don't look for it now, the drafts have been removed). It became not only my personal bible for writing effective use cases; it became the foundation for every group of engineers, designers, analysts, and even suits I taught to read and write use cases. It conveyed the essence and intention of use cases better than I or any other book could. I must state my personal preference for the first draft, which was more strongly worded in some areas and generated more emotional emphasis on some topics where engineers can be very wrongheaded. However, all my subsequent reading groups tended to prefer the third draft, so any reservations I may have I forego and gratefully give this book five stars. It's required reading.
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Summary: This Book Will Help
Review: I had never heard of Use Cases until taking a class in Systems Analysis and Development. So I went to Amazon and did a search for books on Use Cases and saw that this one was rated quite high. I believe I read all the customer reviews. I don't understand how most everyone can give a 5 star rating and one person gives it a 1 star rating. I must say that this book could make even someone new like me, being new to Use Cases, look good. The Table of Contents makes it easy to find an overall view of Use Case topics and the Index breaks it down in great detail. The book is described by the author as a book that is, "predominately aimed at industry professionals who read and study alone, and is therefore organized as a self-study guide." I like that. If you are looking for a book for a class, such as the one I took, or just want to look good at work to describe a process, behavioral requirements, or software development, surely this book could help you too.
Rating:
Summary: The Search is Over...
Review: I have been 'doing' Use Cases for a long time, and have run workshops and seminars on the subject - so I think I know what I'm talking about... and it's over. Alistair has finished the job. Martin Fowler (author of "UML Distilled") and I were discussing this book last week, and we both agreed that Alistair's book wraps up the subject of Use Cases with a nice red bow - there is no need for another Use Case book. If you want to use Use Cases, or merely to understand them, this is the book to buy. DrDan ;-)
Rating:
Summary: This one is the best
Review: I have read lots of books in this subject area and have found this one to be the best. It is a good combination of theoretical and practical. Lots of good, relevant examples. Also, follow this author's other work
Rating:
Summary: A Classic
Review: I held off on reviewing this book until I had not only read it but also "worked with it" awhile. It was an obvious four-star title from the get go, but did it deserve five stars? I reserve five stars for "classics"--those volumes that one keeps going back to, those that keep yielding more knowledge the more times you read them. Is this book a classic? Yup--it definitely deserves five stars. I agree with Craig Larman--don't judge the book by the early chapters--they're important, but it's the later chapters that are priceless. I also agree with Dan Rawsthorne--this is the only book about use cases that a professional developer needs on his/her bookshelf.
Rating: 
Summary: A good book, but lacks a little perspective
Review: I like this book. It's from "the man" himself. It shows how flexible use cases can be; it demonstrates many different styles and uses for them. Unfortunately I think it doesn't really tie use cases into the larger picture, such as their place as *one step* in a good requirements modeling process, or the fact that you can generate test cases from use cases very easily. It goes a little far with silly icons of waves and kites and so on, too. Sometimes you get the feeling that he is really in love with his invention and has lost perspective on its place in the grand scheme of things: just one (vital, of course) piece in the puzzle. That said, by all means buy the book. You will read about use cases in many books, but this one will show you many different ways to write them -- many styles, many ways to make them effective for different needs. Other books place them as one step in "My E-Z-Omatic software process (tm)" and that's too specific to really help you leverage use cases for your unique needs.
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