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Use case writing

 
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I modelling a Client-Server app in which the Server can accept search strings
using a limited set of Regular expression formats. Both Client and Server will validate the searchString.

Using Alistair Cockburn's long format for writing use cases, I wrote one use case in which the Client enters a specific searchString e.g. *123??

Now, I want to specify ALL the acceptable formats for the searchString.

Should I put that in a central BusinessRules document or in-situ inside the use case, possibly an appendix or something ?
 
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Cockburn's book is a wonderful resource, isn't it?

The best and most vague advice is to put it in the format that best communicates to the audience. In my world there are three readers: Business folk confirm that we understood their requirements, developers write code to meet the requirements, testers verify each requirement with tests. We seem to have stuck ourselves in a rut with overly formal langauge that makes it a real effort to dig through a doc and find simple things like this.

Any of your suggested locations is ok, but may be more or less convenient for your audience depending on who they are and how they like to work. I'd just encourage you to keep it as clear and simple as possible. Figure out who needs to know this stuff and why, and write for them. Don't let any rules make you clutter it up.

Let us know how it work out!
 
Pho Tek
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Stan,

Yes Cockburn's book is solid. I've also been reading up on Mike Cohn's book on UserStories.

OK. Here's what I ended up with. I'm writing and collecting all the specifications inside a wiki (specifically the super lightweight instiki). The search format (limited regex) is specified in one page. And I'm linking from the UseCase to this page. Another index page will list all the business rules inclusive of data formats.
[ November 25, 2004: Message edited by: Pho Tek ]
 
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