Frequently Asked Questions
General
What is Case Complete designed to do?
What Use Case conventions does Case Complete embody?
Does Case Complete support all the fields described in Alistair Cockburn's book?
Does Case Complete support spell checking for other languages?
What are the system requirements?
Multi-user access using Packages
Can more than 1 person be working on the use case model at the same time?
How do I create packages? (groups of related use cases and actors)
How do I save a package to a different file?
How do I move items from one package to another?
What files should I put under version control? (for example, Microsoft SourceSafe)
Does Case Complete support saving the model in a shared repository or database?
Reporting
Can I create my own custom reports?
How do I print different reports?
How do I include screen shots and miscellaneous external documents in my reports?
When I generate a Word report, I get an error "The stub received bad data", or CaseComplete
indicates that Word installation fixup is required.
User Interface
Can I change the choices in the dropdown lists? (for example, the use case status field)
Can I create a hyperlink to an actor or a requirement like I can for use cases?
Can I have more than 1 primary or supporting actor?
Integration
What tools does Case Complete integrate with?
How do I import XMI files into IBM Rational Rose®?
What's the difference between XMI and XML export?
Miscellaneous
How do I turn off the splash screen and/or the fade effect during startup?
How do I remove files from the recent files list?
How do I transfer my Case Complete license to my new computer?
I have a suggestion, who do I send it to?
What is Case Complete designed to do?
Use cases and Requirements help organizations create a shared vision of the
software they plan to develop. Having a vision shared among all project stakeholders,
from end users to project leaders, greatly reduces the risks inherent in large software
projects and increases the likelihood that the delivered product meets expectations.
Case Complete automates the application of use case authoring standards, to make
authoring easier, faster, and more useful. It provides a framework that promotes
good investigation and brainstorming when developing project requirements,
and an articulate expression of those requirements that is useful to a wide range
of stakeholders, not just the technical staff. Case Complete also provides
structure and support to accelerate learning for those less experienced in preparing
use cases and requirements.
Unlike developing use cases and requirements with a word processor, their benefits
don't end as soon as they have been written. Case Complete allows you
to leverage your data throughout the software lifecycle by generating test plans,
Microsoft Project plans, UML models and custom reports.
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What use case conventions does Case Complete embody?
The current release of Case Complete relies heavily on Writing Effective Use Cases
by Alistair Cockburn and Advanced Use Case Modeling by Frank Armour and
Granville Miller, both of which we have found to be useful.
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Does Case Complete support all the fields described in Alistair Cockburn's book?
By default, Case Complete includes a subset of the fields described in Cockburn's
book, Writing Effective Use Cases. If you would like to include some or
all of the other fields in your use case model, you can import these via the "Custom
Fields" dialog accessible from the Tools menu. The file you should import
is "AdditionalDetailsCustomFields.xml" found in the Templates folder
of the Case Complete installation directory (by default, C:\Program Files\Serlio
Software\Case Complete\Templates). Once they are imported, you can delete
fields that you will not use or modify them to suit your needs.
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Does Case Complete support spell checking for other languages?
Yes. Spanish and German dictionaries are available upon request. In addition,
customers who have purchased Case Complete may request dictionaries for
the following languages: French, Portuguese, and Dutch. Other
languages may be supported in the future.
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What are the system requirements?
Please see our support page.
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Can more than 1 person be working on the use case model at the same time?
Yes. For the long answer read our tech-note, Using Case Complete
in a Multi-User Environment (Microsoft Word document). Keep reading for the short answer.
Each package (a group of use cases and actors) in your model can be saved to a different
file (see discussion about packages below). Individual authors or reviewers can
simultaneously work on different parts of the use case model, modifying only the
use case(s) in the packages checked out to him or her.
Think of an individual package as a separate document that contains one or
more use cases or actors. Like a word processing document, only 1 person can
work on a particular package at a time. However, Case Complete makes it seem
like you are working on one large document since it combines the contents of
every package when your use case model is loaded. Thus a person working
on a particular package can still make references to actors and use cases defined
in a package that another person is currently working on.
Once you have defined your packages and saved them to separate files, you can put all
files associated with your use case model on a shared server so team members have
access to the model. However, it is a good idea to employ a version control
system such as Microsoft SourceSafe to manage access to the files. For example,
when an author checks out a package file, SourceSafe marks it as reserved and
copies it to the author's computer. When the author finishes, he or she checks
it in, making it available, once again, to the others on the team. Learn more about
Microsoft SourceSafe
here.
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How do I create packages? (groups of related use cases and actors)
Creating a group of use cases is easy with Case Complete.
Case Complete "packages" provide a way to organize use cases and actors into related
groups. Packages are similar in nature to a Windows folder. To create a package,
click the right mouse button on any existing package in the model browser (packages
use the folder icon) and select "New Package". In a brand new model there is only
one package, found at the top of the model browser list. This package represents
the project as a whole, and additional packages will be subordinate to this package. Note that in
addition to holding use cases, packages can also hold actors, requirements and other packages.
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How do I save a package to a different file?
Right click on the package in the model browser and select "Save in separate file".
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How do I move items from one package to another?
In the model browser or main list, drag items (use cases, actors or even other packages)
and drop them on the desired destination package. Or you can select multiple
items in the main list and right click on one of them and select the "Move To" menu
item. Or you can open the item's details page by double clicking on it in the
model browser and selecting the appropriate package from the "Owning Package" list.
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What files should I put under version control? (for example, Microsoft SourceSafe)
See the tech-note, Using Case Complete
in a Multi-User Environment for detailed instruction on using Case Complete
with a version control system.
Files that should be checked into your version control system are:
- the main document (.ucd extension)
- the glossary (.ucg extension)
- package files if any (.ucp extension)
- diagram files if any (.ndx extension)
- the change tracking files for the main document and packages if track changes is
turned on (.ucc extension)
- the vision document if you created one from the process page (xyz_vision.doc).
- documents that are referenced in the related documents tab (optional, but recommended
when documents are not already on a shared server)
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Does Case Complete support saving the model in a shared repository or database?
No. Case Complete uses a file-based approach to multi-user access, a technique proven
by IBM Rational Rose® and IBM Rational XDE™ over thousands of projects. Case Complete
data files are text-based XML files, so they can be added to any version control system.
Multi-user support using files as described in the previous questions has certain
advantages. For example, changes to a use case are only propagated to others on
the team when the author decides that the time is right. With a shared database,
changes are immediately available to others, even if the author has left the use
case in an intermediate or incomplete state.
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Can I create my own custom reports?
Yes. Case Complete supports both Microsoft Word and HTML reports. Detailed
instructions on how to create custom Word reports are accessible from the Help menu.
For HTML reports, the report generator uses XSL to transform XML into
HTML. You will need to have at least a basic understanding of XSL transforms,
but if you start with an existing report, it's not difficult to make minor
changes. Start by copying one of the existing .xslt files found in the reports folder
of the installation directory (default: C:\Program Files\Serlio Software\Case Complete\Reports)
and then modify it to suit your needs. Any new files that you put in that
directory will automatically show in the report list. The XML format given
to the transform is identical to the format when doing a File/Export to XML.
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How do I print different reports?
By default, the print function available from the toolbar, the file menu and the
item details page prints the default html report appropriate to the selected
item(s). If you would like to print a different report, generate the
desired report and print directly from your web browser (for HTML reports) or from
Word (for Word reports) when the report is displayed.
You may also change the report that gets printed by default when selecting the print
function. In the Case Complete installation folder (by default this is C:\Program
Files\Serlio Software\Case Complete) there is a file named Sample.config. Copy
this file to one named CaseComplete.exe.config. Edit the copied file
using notepad or any other text editor and follow the instructions in that file
to change the default report for use cases, actors or packages.
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How do I include screen shots and miscellaneous external documents in my reports?
You can attach any file or URL to any use case, actor or package as a related document.
As of version 2.0, image files (such as .jpg's and .bmp's) and files that support
embedding (such as Visio files) that are attached as related documents can automatically
be displayed in generated Word reports. You can control this behavior via
the Options button on the Generate Word Report dialog.
To attach an image, such as a screen shot, you will first need to save it to a file
or on a website accessible to the use case project team members.
In the list of actors or use cases, or in the model browser, select the actor, use
case or package that you want to attach the file to.
Select the "Related Documents" tab shown along the bottom of Case Complete and right
mouse click and select "Add Related Document" or "Add URL". "Add Related Document"
allows you to browse to a file; "Add URL" allow you to manually enter a URL, such
as www.mysite.com/interesting.jpg.
Alternatively, you can drag and drop files from Windows File Explorer into the Related
Documents list. To view the document or URL, double click on it.
Note: if you want others to be able to view the document, it should either be on
a shared server or it should be shared by putting it in your version control system.
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When I generate a Word report, I get an error "The stub received bad data", or CaseComplete
indicates that Word installation fixup is required.
This is a known issue with Microsoft Word. You can fix the problem in one of two
ways:
Run repair on the Microsoft Office installation.
Instructions based on Office
2003 on XP:
1) Control Panel->Add or Remove Programs
2) Select your version of Microsoft Office
3) Click Change
4) Select "Reinstall or Repair"; Click Next
5) Select "Detect and Repair errors in my Office installation"; Click Install
You may be asked for the original Office CD/DVD when you do this.
-OR-
Manually reregister the Word type library.
If you are comfortable with running commands from the Windows command line, this
technique may be quicker. Note, these instructions are based on an article
from Microsoft’s knowledge base. For more information, see:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/292744/en-us
Find the file named Msword.olb on your system. You can do a file system search,
however, it will likely be in one of the following locations:
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12 (for Word 2007)
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office11 (for Word 2003)
Then, from the command line (All Programs/Accessories/Command Prompt), use
Regtlib.exe together with the full path to Msword.olb to reregister the library.
The article states that Regtlib.exe is included in the Windows Libraries Update.
However, we have found that in most systems, it is available in this location:
C:\windows\system32\urttemp
If this is the case for you, then to reregister the
Word 2003 library you would need to type the following at the command prompt:
C:\windows\system32\urttemp\regtlib "c:\program files\microsoft
office\office11\msword.olb"
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Can I change the choices in the dropdown lists? (for example, the use case status
field)
You bet. These values are editable via the Tools/Predefined fields menu item.
In addition, you can set default values for these fields that will be used
when a new use case is created, for example if you wanted a different default priority.
The following fields have customizable drop down lists and default values: Assigned
To, Complexity, Use Case Status and Implementation Status, Level, Priority and Release.
Note that even if you don't modify the drop down lists, you can type in your own
text for these fields. For example, you can type in "ready for testing" in
the implementation status field even though it is not in the list of choices.
Or, if you want to limit the values to only those in the dropdown list, you can
check "allow only these values".
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Can I create a hyperlink to an actor or a requirement like I can for use cases?
Yes. Simply add the id of the actor or requirement (e.g. A-10 or REQ-5) to your
text and Case Complete will automatically create a hyperlink. As of version
1.2, actor names will also automatically appear as hyperlinks.
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Can I have more than 1 primary or supporting actor?
Yes, as of version 2.5 you can have any number of primary or supporting actors -
the actor dropdown lists on the use case page allow multiple selections (to
unassign an actor, select it again in the dropdown list).
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What tools does Case Complete integrate with?
UML Tools
Case Complete data can be exported to XMI format that can be imported
by a variety of tools, including most UML tools such as Visual UML® and
IBM Rational Rose®. This allows you to create UML diagrams of your
use cases and actors (see example). Among all the UML tools available,
Visual UML®
currently offers the tightest integration by mapping all of Case Complete's use
case and actor details to corresponding fields in that tool. In addition,
it can import Case Complete's XML report format allowing you to import and merge
Case Complete data multiple times.
Microsoft Project
Each use case and package defined in Case Complete can be exported
as a Microsoft Project task. Mapping is available to fill in a task duration
based on use case complexity. Customization of the exported data (e.g. for
other similar tools) can be accomplished by modifying TaskExportFormat.txt in the
Templates folder.
Software Project Estimation
Estimate Easy UC (EEUC™) from Duvessa
Software™ can take Case Complete's XMI exported data and provide project cost estimates based on
that data.
Tab Delimited Values
You can also export Case Complete data to tab delimited text files, which can
be used as input to a variety of other applications, such as database applications or spreadsheets.
Do this via the "Generate Word Report" option on the tools menu. You may also import
tab delimited text via the Files menu.
If you have an idea for an integration that would help you out, by all means, please
let us know.
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How do I import XMI files into IBM Rational Rose®?
You must first download and install the XMI add-in for Rose. Description of the
add-in can be found here:
http://www-1.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21131368
From there you can go to the download page for Rose Add-ins:
http://www-128.ibm.com/developerworks/rational/library/content/03July/2500/2834/Rose/rational_rose.html
From there you can download the add-in (XMI add-in 1.3.6):
ftp://www6.software.ibm.com/software/developer/library/rational/2834/Rose/RoseXMLTools1.3.6.01.zip
Once you install the add-in, you can start Rose, click on the Tools menu, select
UML 1.3 XMI Add-in/UML 1.3 XMI Import and open the .xml file that was exported by
Case Complete. This will import the actors and use cases which you can then drag
and drop into Rose diagrams from the Rose browser.
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What's the difference between XMI and XML export?
XMI (Xml Metadata Interchange) is a form of XML that allows you to interchange data
between applications, in this case applications that understand UML.
The XML format that Case Complete supports is a custom format that is easy to generate reports from.
If you create your own custom HTML reports (see above), the input to the report script will be this
format of XML.
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How do I turn off the splash screen and/or the fade effect during startup?
You can turn off the splash screen that shows when starting Case Complete, or just
disable the fade effect. In the Case Complete installation folder (by default
this is C:\Program Files\Serlio Software\Case Complete) there is a file named
Sample.config. Copy this file to one named CaseComplete.exe.config.
Edit the copied file using notepad or any other text editor and follow the instructions
in that file. Note that you should also remove or comment out the language dictionary
section since it is there just to serve as an example so the referenced dictionary
file does not exist.
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How do I remove files from the recent files list?
If you have a file in your recent files list shown on your start page that you no
longer use or is no longer valid, you can remove it from the list. For version 2.6
or later, simply right click on the file and select remove from list. For version
2.5 or earlier, use any text editor such as notepad to open the following file:
C:\Documents and Settings\<your user id>\Application Data\Serlio Software\Case Complete\
settings.xml
(Note that Application Data is a hidden
folder, so you will either have to type it in manually in Windows Explorer or
change settings to show hidden files and folders.)
Near the end of the file there is a section called RecentFiles. Replace the file
you no longer need with an empty entry, either <string></string>,
or <string /> (both work the same). Note there must be 5 entries
in the list, so you can’t simply delete the entire line.
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How do I transfer my Case Complete license to my new computer?
For CaseComplete 2008 and later: Click on Help->Deactivate CaseComplete
and follow the instructions. Once deactivated, CaseComplete can then be installed
and activated on your new machine.
For Case Complete 2.6 and earlier:
Send an email to
indicating you'd like to transfer your license to your new computer. Include your name, company and
your Case Complete serial number (beginning with CC- or CC2- and can be found in the Help->About Case
Complete). We can then clear out the activation data on our license server and you'll be able to
install and activate your copy of Case Complete on your new machine.
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I have a suggestion, who do I send it to?
You can send suggestions to
or you can post
in our forums.
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