In software engineering and product development, a primary use case represents the core interaction an actor has with a system to achieve a specific, high-value goal. It maps out the default, error-free path—commonly known as the “happy path” or basic flow—where everything goes exactly as planned to deliver business value. Core Components
Every primary use case relies on a few fundamental building blocks to describe system behavior:
Primary Actor: The user or external system that initiates the interaction to fulfill a specific goal.
System Boundary: The scope of the application or platform being designed.
Pre-conditions: The necessary state of the world before the use case can start.
Basic Flow: The step-by-step sequential actions taken by the actor and responses from the system.
Post-conditions: The successful outcome or final state of the system once the goal is achieved. Primary vs. Secondary Flow
While a primary use case focuses on the most common, successful scenario, it also anchors other pathways: What is a Use Case? How to Write One, Examples & Template
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