Review By: Showey Howey
06/23/2010Authors Doug Rosenberg and Kendall Scott of ICONIX Software Engineering, Inc. present a workbook-style exploration of Use Case Modeling based on the ICONIX process. Organized first by the four ICONIX development phases, concepts then evolve through key element description text and top ten lists of common student mistakes collected from ICONIX workshops.

Sensible exercises (with hints) draw the reader immediately into the methodology and give positive signs of self-learning. Presentation of the material showed respect for the reader’s time. While the book layout could use some improvement (figures are usually a page turn from their references), the use of color in the exercises, hints, and top ten lists makes it easy to cross-reference and locate text. Use of a single project keeps the focus on the topic. The clear and conversational writing style rarely gets in the way of the concepts.

A summary of the book's use case documentation appears in an appendix so readers can check their own attempts against the authors' example. Deceptively specific, the book deserves a wide readership. Obviously, trainers promoting ICONIX methods will use this when planning formal courses but casual trainers will also find this book helpful.

Lessons learned weave through the descriptions in a way bosses and clients can understand. General objections to Use Case and UML processes are acknowledged and many are overcome with straightforward language. Three chapters explain the value of reviews, tasks often neglected by the team and undervalued by management and users.

Easy and fun to read, this book gave me a quick but thorough overview of the topic. Fun, easy, and quick do not describe most technical books on my shelves. My time is valuable and my needs are usually immediate. This book delivers the right amount of content without the dummy attitude.

Many workbooks suffer from a use-once-and-toss format. The Annotated e-Commerce Example within this workbook preserves the reader’s investment. Personal knowledge of the example deepens as the modeling process unfolds making the text stand up well on second reading. In addition, the full model can be downloaded from the ICONIX website, extending the exercises by another five cases.

Despite the somewhat negative bias of the error lists, the book is upbeat and interactive. Immersion in the methodology seemed a bad idea at first, but the hints within the exercises saved this UML beginner from total frustration. The hints were broad enough to leave room for thought.

I also appreciated the authors’ candid remarks about their previous book on the subject and the role of the ICONIX organization and proprietary tools in the process. They defended the book’s scope with references to other authors and books for those wanting more detail. The collected top ten lists would make a great reference for teams during a Use Case Driven project.

What a terrific way to spend an afternoon and learn Use Case Driven Object Modeling with UML! Using plainly defined terms and clear illustrations, the authors lead readers through top ten lists describing common pitfalls associated with the methodology. Error-ridden mini-samples provide an interactive way to shorten your learning curve.