use-case-spec

name

use-case-spec

description

Creates detailed use case specification documents with actors, preconditions, main success scenarios, alternative flows, postconditions, and business rules. Use when the user asks to "write a use case", "specify a use case", "document system behavior", "define scenarios", "write a functional spec", or mentions use case specification, acceptance criteria, or user scenarios. Also trigger whenever the task is to write use case specification documents for the use cases in a use case diagram (e.g. docs/use_cases.puml) — including phrasings like "detailed use case specifications before writing any code", "one file per use case", or a request to cover the happy path, alternative flows, postconditions, and business rules for each use case.

Use Case Specification

Instructions

Create or update use case specification documents for $ARGUMENTS in docs/use_cases/. Each use case describes a complete interaction between an actor and the system to achieve a goal.

File naming (do this exactly)

One file per use case, written to docs/use_cases/UC-XXX-<kebab-case-name>.md where:

• UC-XXX is the use case's three-digit ID (e.g. UC-001).
• <kebab-case-name> is the use case name taken verbatim from the use case diagram (docs/use_cases.puml), lowercased with spaces replaced by hyphens. Do not paraphrase, expand, or reorder the words.

Use case name in diagram	Correct filename
Register Account	docs/use_cases/UC-001-register-account.md
Log In	docs/use_cases/UC-002-log-in.md
Place Order	docs/use_cases/UC-001-place-order.md

Scope: one or many use cases

• If the task names a single use case (e.g. "write UC-001 Place Order"), produce only that one file. Do not create specs for other use cases in the diagram.
• If the task asks for "all use cases" or names several, produce one file per use case, and number IDs globally across all files in this task:
  • UC-XXX IDs come from the diagram and never repeat.
  • BR-XXX business-rule IDs are unique across every file — they do not restart at BR-001 in the second file. If UC-001 ends at BR-003, UC-002 starts at BR-004.

DO NOT

• Write vague or incomplete scenarios
• Skip numbering steps in the Main Success Scenario
• Omit alternative flows for error conditions
• Leave postconditions undefined
• Mix multiple use cases in one document
• Use technical implementation details in the flow steps

Template

Use references/use-case.md as the document structure, and see references/example.md for a complete worked example.

Workflow

1. Read the docs/requirements.md and docs/use_cases.puml.
2. Determine the set of use cases to document (one, several, or all in the diagram — see "Scope" above). Take each UC-XXX ID and name from the diagram.
3. Use TodoWrite to track progress — one item per use case file.
4. For each use case, derive the filename with the rule in "File naming" above.
5. Write the Overview section: Use Case ID, primary actor, goal, and a Status from the template's list.
6. Define preconditions — verifiable facts that must be true before the use case starts.
7. Write the Main Success Scenario as numbered steps (start at 1, no gaps), alternating actor action and system response, ending with the goal achieved.
8. Identify all meaningful alternative flows (error conditions, optional paths, exceptional situations) — most real use cases have two or more. Each one must:
   • name a Trigger that references a specific main-scenario step number, written as (step N) (e.g. Payment is declined (step 7)); and
   • end with either Use case continues at step N. or Use case ends.
9. Define postconditions for both success and failure (both subsections non-empty).
10. Document applicable business rules with BR-XXX IDs. When writing more than one use case in this task, keep BR-XXX IDs unique across all files (never restart at BR-001 — see "Scope").
11. Write each use case to its own file completely before moving to the next — never merge two use cases into one file, and never leave a planned file unwritten.
12. Run the Completeness Checklist below; fix anything that fails.
13. Final verification (do this before declaring done): list the contents of docs/use_cases/ and confirm every UC-XXX from your scope has exactly one file present, named UC-XXX-<kebab-case-name>.md (kebab-case of the diagram name — e.g. Log In → UC-002-log-in.md, never UC-002-login.md). Rename any mismatch. Then search every file you wrote for these forbidden words and rewrite the step at the business level if any appears: SMTP, email server, JWT, token, bcrypt, hash, salt, SHA, SELECT, INSERT, SQL. A registration or login use case must say "System verifies the credentials" / "System confirms the account" — never how the password or session is handled.
14. Mark todo complete.

Completeness Checklist

Before considering the document done, verify every item:

• Each file is named UC-XXX-<kebab-case-name>.md using the name from the diagram, and documents exactly one use case.
• Overview has a Use Case ID (UC-XXX), primary actor, goal, and a valid Status value.
• The Main Success Scenario starts at step 1, has no gaps, and its final step states the goal being achieved.
• At least one alternative flow exists (two or more when the use case has several failure paths); each has a Trigger that references a specific main-scenario step number as (step N).
• Every alternative flow ends with Use case continues at step N. or Use case ends. — never open-ended.
• Both Success and Failure postconditions are defined and non-empty.
• Each business rule has a BR-XXX ID; across multiple files in one task, the IDs are unique and do not restart at BR-001.
• No step contains technical implementation detail — no HTTP verbs (POST/GET), SQL, class names, regex, exception names, or protocol terms (SMTP, JWT, bcrypt). See the template's step-writing guidelines.