When developing software, regardless of your process, there will always be a way in which requirements are described and broken up in peaces. This allows developers to pick up these smaller pieces and work on a single feature at a time. When using the Unified Process (OpenUP/RUP) Use Cases describe the interaction between end users and the system to build in detail. Often these Use Cases are used to document software up front before development starts.

Agile methods like Scrum en XP favor User Stories. Short, simple descriptions of what a user wants to accomplish and why. These are a lot less formal and leave a lot of detail open for interpretation. The high level of interaction between the development team and the product owner and the frequent oppurtunity to change and refine should then make up for that.

In his article Scott Sehlhorst compares User Stories and Use cases side by side and comes to the valid conclusion that each have their place and that depending on your environment you can benefit from both techniques.

 

One Response to User Stories and Use Cases | Tyner Blain

  1. Scott Sehlhorst schreef:

    Thanks, Marius!The key thing (to which you alluded) is that essentially the same information gets conveyed when using any of the different artifacts/formats. The difference is that the lighter-weight formats require more information to be exchanged via conversation. With a lighter-weight doc, you can "start doing stuff" faster. With a heavy-weight doc, you retain more of the conversation for posterity. Different teams / projects / areas of complexity will benefit from a bias in one direction or the other.I appreciate the link / summary, thanks again.Scott (@sehlhorst on Twitter)

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