Software Engineering: Requirement Engineering

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Questions and Answers

What is the main purpose of a system requirements document?

To define the user requirements in natural language and diagrams

To establish the timing constraints and development process for the system

To outline the contract between the system buyer and software developers

To provide a detailed description of the system's functions, services, and operational constraints (correct)

What is the difference between functional and non-functional requirements?

Functional requirements state what the system should not do, while non-functional requirements state what the system should do

Functional requirements describe the services the system should provide, while non-functional requirements are constraints on those services (correct)

Functional requirements are written in natural language, while non-functional requirements use diagrams

Functional requirements are for the system buyer, while non-functional requirements are for the software developers

Why is it important to write requirements at different levels of detail?

To provide a contract between the buyer and developers

To ensure the system meets all user expectations

Because different readers (e.g. users, developers) use the requirements in different ways (correct)

To clearly define the functional and non-functional requirements

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a functional requirement?

Defines the system's timing constraints Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a key purpose of a system requirements document?

To define exactly what is to be implemented in the software system Signup and view all the answers

What is the main difference between user requirements and system requirements?

User requirements define the services the system should provide, while system requirements are more detailed descriptions Signup and view all the answers

What does completeness mean in the context of functional system requirements?

Having all services required by the user defined Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following factors can influence the requirements of a software system?

The type of software being developed and expected users Signup and view all the answers

Why is it challenging to achieve both consistency and completeness in large, complex systems?

Complexity and scale of large systems Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an example of a functional requirement for a mental health care patient management system?

The system shall generate a list of patients attending appointments daily Signup and view all the answers

What does consistency mean in the context of functional system requirements?

Making sure requirements do not contradict each other Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of a specific functional requirement mentioned in the text?

Each staff member shall be uniquely identified by an eight-digit number Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of requirements engineering?

To define the services and constraints of a system Signup and view all the answers

How is the term 'requirement' used in the software industry?

It is used inconsistently, ranging from abstract statements to formal definitions Signup and view all the answers

Why should requirements be written in an abstract way for a large software development project?

To allow multiple contractors to bid for the contract Signup and view all the answers

What should the contractor do after being awarded the contract?

Write a detailed system definition for the client Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements is true about requirements documents?

Both the client's and contractor's documents may be called requirements documents Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of writing a system definition in more detail by the contractor?

To validate the client's understanding of the software Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Types of Requirements

User requirements: natural language plus diagrams, describing services the system provides and operational constraints
System requirements: detailed descriptions of software system’s functions, services, and operational constraints

Functional and Non-Functional Requirements

Functional requirements: statements of services the system should provide, how it should react to inputs, and behave in situations
May include explicit statements of what the system should not do
Non-functional requirements: constraints on services or functions offered by the system, including timing constraints, development process constraints, and standards-imposed constraints

Functional Requirements

Describe what the system should do
Depend on software type, users, and organization approach
Vary from general to specific requirements reflecting local ways of working or existing systems
Examples for a mental health care patient management system:
- A user shall be able to search the appointments lists for all clinics
- The system shall generate each day, for each clinic, a list of patients expected to attend appointments that day
- Each staff member using the system shall be uniquely identified by their eight-digit employee number

Requirements Completeness and Consistency

Functional requirements specification should be both complete (define all services required by the user) and consistent (no contradictory definitions)
In practice, achieving completeness and consistency is impossible for large, complex systems

Requirements Engineering

The process of finding out, analyzing, documenting, and checking services and constraints of a system is called requirements engineering (RE)
The term "requirement" is not used consistently in the software industry, ranging from high-level abstract statements to detailed, formal definitions of system functions

Requirement Abstraction

Requirements must be written in a sufficiently abstract way to allow for different solutions and bidding from contractors
Once a contract is awarded, the contractor must write a more detailed system definition for the client to validate the software's functionality

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Description

Learn about Requirement Engineering in software engineering, covering the process of finding out, analyzing, documenting, and checking the services and constraints of a system. Explore the importance and definitions surrounding system requirements.

Software Engineering: Requirement Engineering - Lecture 5

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