Identifying User Goals
Each primary actor represents a user role or external system with specific goals or objectives. Understanding these goals helps in defining the use cases that the system must support to meet the needs of its users.
What are Primary Actors in a Use Case Diagram?
In a use case diagram, primary actors are external entities that interact with the system being modeled. These actors represent roles played by users or other systems that interact with the system being developed. Primary actors are essential for defining the boundaries of the system and identifying the main users or external systems that will interact with it.
For Example:
Let’s understand primary actors by taking example of an e-commerce system
Primary actors in an e-commerce system include:
- Customer: A person who interacts with the system to browse products, add items to the shopping cart, and place orders.
- Administrator: A user who manages the system, including adding or removing products, managing inventory, and processing orders.
- Payment Gateway: An external system that processes payments on behalf of the e-commerce system.