From user stories to sequence diagram

https://stackoverflow.com//questions/24040528

21-12-2019
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Question

I would like to know:

how to convert users stories into sequence diagrams?

and what is the most easy diagram to understand (for customer)?

Solution

In my opinion, what works best with the customers are not use cases. They are too abstract and complicated even for the most of developers. And when they are finally approved, you're never sure whether the customers actually understood them correctly.

I suggest the mix of UML activity diagrams and user interface prototypes (non UML) as far the best tool to work on this level of analysis with non technical business people.

Activities model their business in an intuitive, easy to understand and clear way. UI Prototypes as well, so they can see how they business maps to screens.

Behind the curtains, I like to support activities with a formal and accurate domain class model, invisible to customers of course, but open to developers and making a nice technical backbone of the future system.

User stories fit perfectly in this modelling set, you can even make them less formal and more high-level, as the rest will fill the information gap. Sequences can now be build using domain objects, connecting 2 views - customers' and developers'.

I avoid use cases strongly, whenever possible (although I personally like them).

OTHER TIPS

Traditionally, a use case is converted into sequence diagrams (through a "use case realization" collaboration for traceability). User stories are different from use cases in that the latter provide a set of distinct steps to take whereas the former concentrate on a need and reason.

If you were to to take a use case, each of the steps in the use case would be represented by messages in the sequence diagram. The use case actor (the "user" in the user story) would be the initiating timeline and a second timeline would be the "system". You could then iterate on that sequence diagram to extract various system components (thereby building a domain model for your application).

Does that make sense to you?

how to convert users stories into sequence diagrams?

There is no straightforward easy way. There is not enough information as user story is basically one or few sentences of text. Converting use cases to sequence diagrams is easier and can be partially automated

what is the most easy diagram to understand (for customer)?

it depends on who is the customer. In general, overview diagrams, e.g. BPMN style should be easy to read. See my answer to the question "UML diagram for dependency between systems" for some options and useful links

From user stories to sequence diagram

how to convert users stories into sequence diagrams?

what is the most easy diagram to understand (for customer)?

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