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New Post 1/12/2012 1:12 PM
User is offline Engle
30 posts
9th Level Poster


Use Case - Direction of the Include and Extend arrows 

 Would like to understand the direction of the arrows for Include and Extend UC in a UC diagram

1. Seems to me that when a Base UC INCLUDEs a UC, then the connector arrow s/b TOWARDs the Base UC. 

The included UC is being brought in (included) into the Base UC. 

2. Conversely, when a Base UC EXTENDs to another UC, then the connector arrow s/b AWAY FROM the Base UC

The Base UC is extending or expanding to another UC

 

So, why are the arrows pointing in the opposite direction from what a reasonable reader would expect  ?

Thoughts or explanations ?

Thanks, 

 

 
New Post 1/12/2012 3:48 PM
User is offline Kimbo
456 posts
5th Level Poster


Re: Use Case - Direction of the Include and Extend arrows 

Hi  Engle,

Now you could say that base UC includes other use case, so it reads left to right. And other use case is extending the one it points to - the base UC. But really it doesn't matter that much does it? Just follow the convention. As long as everyone does it the same way there's no issue

Kimbo

 
New Post 1/12/2012 4:22 PM
User is offline Engle
30 posts
9th Level Poster


Re: Use Case - Direction of the Include and Extend arrows 

 Kimbo wrote

Hi  Engle,

Now you could say that base UC includes other use case, so it reads left to right. And other use case is extending the one it points to - the base UC. But really it doesn't matter that much does it? Just follow the convention. As long as everyone does it the same way there's no issue

Kimbo

Hi Kimbo, just thought I'd throw my thinking out there, not necessarily because I'd like to challenge the status quo, but in an attempt to clarify what I believe is a confusing issue between the ' include ' and ' extend ' features. 

In the English lexicon, when you include something, you bring it into your space, your domain - as in I'm including you in my team. <---

When you extend something, you reach out - as in I'm extending my hand out to you or extending our business to foreign markets  --->

Those teeny-weeny little arrows pointing in the wrong direction are IMO a contributing cause of the confusion and I'd imagine the creators of the UC, perhaps did not put as much thinking into this as they should have. 

Cheers !

 
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