Please note : This help page is not for the latest version of Enterprise Architect. The latest help can be found here.

Scenarios

A scenario is a real-world sequence of operations that describes how an element works in real-time.

Topics:

Topic

Detail

See also

Where you can generate Scenarios

You can apply scenarios to any element - generally Use Cases - to describe functional behavior, business work flows and end-to-end business processes

You create scenarios through the Scenario page of the element Properties dialog;  this page has two internal tabs, as described below.

  • The Description tab enables you to create scenarios and provide a simple text description of each scenario, or of the structure of each scenario
  • The Structured Specification tab (the default) enables you to create scenarios or select those you have created elsewhere and, for each scenario:
  • Create a series of steps for each part of the scenario
  • Structure the scenario to show how the basic path diverges into the alternate paths and exception paths
  • Generate a number of types of diagram from the structure
  • Generate a structured scenario from an Activity diagram
  • Generate a structured scenario from text on the clipboard; this option has a variation in the Description tab that enables you to translate scenario descriptions created prior to release 8.0 of Enterprise Architect, into structured scenarios in the latest release

Structured Specification Tab

Generate Diagrams

Generate Scenario from Activity diagram

Structured Specification Item Context Menu

Scenarios

Description Tab

On the Scenarios page, click on the Description tab; the Scenario (name) field and the Type field both default to Basic Path, to enable you to define the basic path first; you can overtype the scenario name with more appropriate text if required

As you go on to create other scenarios, you set the type to Alternate or Exception as appropriate

Complete the fields as described in the table below

 

Reference:

Field

Usage

See also

Scenario

Type in the name of the scenario (or, for existing scenarios, click on the drop-down arrow and select one from the list)

 

Type

Specify the type of scenario; the options are:

  • Basic Path - the direct set of steps for the scenario
  • Alternate - an alternative set of steps, in parallel with part of the basic path
  • Exception - the path the scenario follows if a step of the basic path does not produce an appropriate result

 

Description

Record a textual description of how the user uses the current element

As for the Notes window, you can format the notes text using the Notes toolbar at the top of the field

As well as  the Notes window facilities, you can also generate a structured specification from the text in this field; highlight the text, right-click on it and select the Create Structure from Notes context menu option

The text is copied to the Structured Specification tab for the current scenario, either as a new specification or as the continuation of an existing specification, with a new step created at each carriage return

Subsequent changes to the text on the Structured Specification tab are not reflected on the Description tab

Note Tab

Notes Toolbar

Structured Specification Tab

New

Clear the data fields so that you can enter data in them to create a new scenario

 

Save

Save a new scenario, or changes to an existing scenario

 

Delete

Delete a scenario selected from the Scenarios panel, below

 

Scenarios

Display a list of defined scenarios for this element

You can change the order in which the scenarios are listed, using the uphand and downhand buttons

 

Notes:

  • The Scenario page does not prevent you from creating more than one basic path, but it would be unusual to define more than one
  • All the functions available on the Scenario page are also available through the Scenarios & Requirements window/view; use the Browse Element icon in the window toolbar to list and select the scenarios for the element

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