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I'm making "UML Use Case" for an application that will have actors:

  • user (a normal user),
  • google (to make OpenID registration).

What will I use: OpenID or Google? What is the real actor here? The actor which will make the interaction with the user to be represented in the Use case diagram?

Toon Krijthe
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Abdelouahab Pp
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2 Answers2

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Both are valid choices. If you want to express that Google acts as a company you can add it as an actor. If you want to express that the user interacts with a general "OpenID Service" you can put it there as well. Or you can combine it and name the actor "Google OpenID Service" to make it more specific.

Christian
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  • thank you for the reply, about google openid service, it is general no? since it is not google that provides the initial service? – Abdelouahab Pp Oct 02 '12 at 09:08
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An actor is a person, organization or system that interacts with your system. OpenID is none of these. Google is. So you should model Google as the actor.

vainolo
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    But `OpenID` is not a system, it is a protocol. As you said, if the service is generic one can add an actor named `OpenID Service Provider` and from it inherit `Google OpenID Service Provider` – vainolo Oct 02 '12 at 08:37
  • i'll stick with this answer, i'll get the Google as an actor :) thank you :) – Abdelouahab Pp Oct 02 '12 at 09:06