Importing more than one Alternate Path on a Use Case

[SparxUser19]

Hello,

I am using MS Office Addin to import use cases and I see that Sparx only allows one value for each property (i.e, there can be only one Name or Notes or Alternate Path in my case). Is there a workaround to supply more than on Alternate Path.

It makes sense to not have more than one Element Name, but Alternate Path is a different story

Thank you in advance for your inputs.

[qwerty]

I don't know that MS stuff. However, it looks like you are creating those structured scenarios available in EA. I always recommend to use s simple (Cockburn-like) enumerated description in the notes rather than this. The reason is simply that you can have only one alternative in the EA scenarios while in reality you commonly find many situations with more than one path. Using enumerations lets you describe that using free numbering like "1a", "1.1", or whatever format is preferred. Sure, if you insert a step and have references like "repeat at step X" you manually have to edit that. So, here's where I go back a step, the other recommendation is to describe just the sunny day scenario this way (if you have decently complex scenarios) and do the real stuff in ADs from the beginning. Having structured scenarios and ADs would mean a doubling of information which is for sure source of later confusion and futile discussions about which holds the truth.

q.

[Mauricio Moya (Arquesoft)]

You can have more than one alternate paths and more than one exception path (indeed, you can have more than one basic path. There is no restriction about it).

One important thing you have to have in mind: an alternate path must be derived from a step in the basic path and could return to the basic path, or just have its own exit point.

With that in mind, you can have more than one alternate paths, each one of them being generated from an specific step in the basic path.

Also, you can create the automatic Activity diagram in order to check you step links are right.

[qwerty]

With that in mind, you can have more than one alternate paths, each one of them being generated from an specific step in the basic path.

That's exactly what I was talking about. In real life you have alternatives inside alternatives. And EA can't deal with that.

q.

[jfzouain]

Hey Guys

I know that EA will NOT work with Alternate within an alternate, but there is a way to go around this.
1. Create you alternate
2 .generate the use case
3. copy the alternate A needed
4. Go to the other alternate in EA
5. go to last step of the alternate A
6. copy the alternate B in the Description Tab of use case
7. Highlight the alternate B in the Description Tab
8. Right click
9. Select: Create Structured from Notes
10. Select: New Lines Delimited
11.Voila, alternate B will be copied completely at the end of alternate A, step by step.

I know that is a lot of steps, but sometimes you have to be creative in EA.

Is also explained in steps in my eBook

https://leanpub.com/uml-erpworkshop

Regards