Glossary - U

unambiguous
Having only a single possible meaning, and therefore not susceptible to multiple conflicting interpretations. Clear and certain, without being obscure or vague.
Unified Modeling Language (UML)
the standard object-oriented modeling language from the Object Management Group (OMG).
unit
the smallest software component that can be treated as a relatively independent blackbox module. A unit is typically identified in the design and the subject of unit testing. A unit is also typically the smallest software configuration item.
For example, a software unit could be an object-oriented programming language class or interface, a procedural programming language function, or an HTML webpage.
unit testing
the testing of an individual unit of software (e.g., a Java class), typically by its developer or a peer programmer.
upperCASE tool
a CASE tool that primarily deals with work products at a higher level of abstraction than software components. Examples include requirements engineering tools, design tools, modeling tools, and documentation tools.
usability ( a.k.a., user-friendliness)
(1) a user-oriented security quality requirement specifying the degree to which an application or component (e.g., user interface, help facilities) and its documentation shall enable a specified set of users to easily and efficiently:
(2) a quality factor measuring the degree to which an application or component actually enable users to easily and effectively use it.
usability engineer
the role that is played when a person implements one or more human interfaces.
usability posttest questionnaire
a testing work product consisting of an organized list of questions that is used to obtain the test participants' observations, opinions, preferences, and recommendations concerning the work product under test.
usability pretest questionnaire
a testing work product consisting of an organized list of questions that is used to address specific test objectives prior to usability testing.
usability test observation form
a testing work product used to expedite the collection of relevant test data by the test monitor.
usability test orientation script
a testing work product that documents standard pretest information to be read verbatim to each test participant.
usability test screening questionnaire
a testing work product consisting of an organized list of questions that is used to select and understand test participants for usability testing.
usability testing
the system testing of an integrated, blackbox application against its usability requirements to determine if it contains any usability defects.
usage guideline
a guideline for using the OPEN Process Framework.
usage phase
the fourth phase, during which minor updates and corrections to the new version of the application are made while it is in use by the user organizations.
usage scenario
a completely specific way of using a blackbox business orapplication that traverses a use case path through a use case.
Note that usage scenarios are test cases for testing use case paths.
use case
a general way of using a blackbox business, application, component, or framework to achieve a goal of some external, primarily specified in terms of its normal and exceptional use case paths.
Contrast with usage scenario and use case path.
Contrast with change case and misuse case.
For example, the use cases for an automatic teller machine application could include customer deposits funds, customer withdraws funds, customer obtains account balances, customer transfers funds, and customer makes payment.
Note that a use case is a single, complete functional abstraction.
use case diagram
a diagram that documents which use cases are used by which externals and any relationships between the use cases.
use case card
a large index card used during the requirements elicitation task to informally capture the cohesive set of operational requirements associated with a single use case.
use case guidelines
use case modeling guidelines for specifing use cases.
use case model
a model of the operational requirements in terms of actors and their associated use cases.
Contrast with business model and object model.
use case modeling
the technique of modeling requirements by producing use case models.
use case modeling guidelines
guidelines that have proved effective for creating use case models.
use case path
a semi-specific way of using a blackbox business or application, specified in terms of its preconditions, logical interactions that capture the externals’ intentions and the businesses’ or application’s requirements, and required postconditions.
See also exceptional path and normal path.
Contrast with usage scenario and use case.
For example, the use case paths for the withdraw funds use case of an automatic teller machine application could include the fast cash and successfully withdraw a specific amount normal paths as well as the account overdrawn and over daily cash limit exceptional paths.
Note that use case paths determine equivalence sets of usage scenarios.
Note that the preconditions determine which path is traversed.
Note that different paths often have different sets of interactions and postconditions.
use case path guidelines
use case modeling guidelines for specifing use case paths.
use case path requirement
A textual operational requirement that summarizes a single path through a use case.
use case path specification
a subsection of the system requirements specification that specifies a single path through a use case in terms of its:
use case requirement
a textual operational requirement that summarizes a single use case.
user
the role that is played when a person uses an application once it is placed into production.
Contrast with customer representative.
user analysis
1) the requirements task during which the users of an application are profiled and analyzed.
2)the requirements work product produced during business (re)engineering that documents the results of the analysis of the user organization that uses the customer organization's applications.
Contrast with customer analysis and market analysis.
user analyst (a.k.a., user researcher)
the role that is played when a person analyzes users and user organizations to determine the users’ desires and needs.
user experience team
the team that is responsible for ensuring the quality of the users’ experiences when using the application.
user interface architecture
the architecture of an application’s user interface including type, technologies, structure, and navigation.
user organization
an organization consisting of users of on or more applications.
user profile
the requirements work product produced during business (re)engineering that documents an individual type of user.
user representative
the role that is played when a person formally represents a user organization during interactions with members of other organizations.
users manual (UM) (a.k.a., users guide)
a user support work product that documents how to use an application in terms of the tasks to be performed by different kinds of users and the workflows to be performed multiple collaborating roles using the application.
user support agent
the role that is played when a person in a contact center provides support to users.
user support team
the team that staffs a contact center and provides support to the users of one or more applications.
user task matrix
the requirements work product produced during business (re)engineering that documents the tasks that users perform.