Actor dilemma!!

[Andrea Gazzarini]

Who is the starting actor of the pay for itinerary use case? In the uc diagram I see one of the two actor, while in the description the first step is done by another use case...
My interpretation:
1) if the starter is an actor then the uc could be executed separately (the user click on the "Payment" link, but there is no mention about this);
2) if the starter is a use case then the uc diagram is wrong! And in this case how I can draw the "Use case actor" on the use case?

Thanks...

[Kate Young]

How about displaying the use case as a System that invokes this usecase? So your actor would be the usecase.

[Andrea Gazzarini]

In the use case diagram, the "Pay" case is relationed with the 2 actors, so it means that
1) the uc is started by one of the two actors?
2) the uc produce a value for one of the two actors?

Although in all manual that i've read the actor in the diagram related to the use case corresponds to a use case description starting like this :

"The use case starts when the buyer ...."

this is not true for the use case in question...so how I can get a comprosise between the 2 points mentioned above?
I can consider the real start point of the use case when the description says "The customer selects credit card payment...".

Right?

Thanks

[Kate Young]

Hi Andrea,

This link might help you.

https://coderanch.com/t/152544/java-Architect-SCEA/certification/case-no-user-interaction

[Andrea Gazzarini]

Hi Kate...I've read the topic (thanks for the tip)...
They are talking about the "Price" and not the "Pay" uc. But I'am interested in this piece also: who is the starting "object" (actor?) of the "Price" uc?�
I'm not using UML 2 so I think cannot use the anonymous "found message" at the start of the diagram

Thanks

[Kate Young]

This is the way I understand it. It doesn't matter if the usecase has two actors. You can always add a note that explains the actors. As for the pricing, it is definitely invoked by the prepare itinerary use case.

[Andrea Gazzarini]

Hi Kate, what do you mean? Can I draw an actor with a stereotype <<use case>>?

[Kate Young]

I am adding the stereotype <<System>> and the use case name. But since I use together, it shows a rectangle unless I have the stereotype <<actor>>.