Getting SW engineers on board: Task modelling with activity diagrams

Abstract

This paper argues for a transfer of knowledge and experience gained in task-based design to Software Engineering. A transformation of task models into activity diagrams as part of UML is proposed. By using familiar notations, software engineers might be encouraged to accept task modelling and to pay more attention to users and their tasks. Generally, different presentations of a model can help to increase its acceptance by various stakeholders. The presented approach allows both the visualization of task models as activity diagrams as well as task modelling with activity diagrams. Corresponding tool support is presented which includes the animation of task models. The tool itself was developed in a model-based way. © 2008 Springer Berlin Heidelberg.