Showing papers on "Software requirements specification published in 1970"

The Problem Of Producing A Quality Requirements SpecificationWith SSADM Version 4: An Evaluation

Abstract: The product of the analysis process is the 'requirements specification'. This is the statement of the prblem that has to be solved. Two phases , Requirements Analysis and Requirements Definition can be jointly referred to as Requirements Engineering. Requirements analysis and specification are arguably the two most important aspects of systems development. The objectives of systems analysis is to examine all aspects of the system: the equipment, personnel, operating conditions, and its internal and external demands, to establish a basis for designing and implementing a better system. Failure to elicit a correct and feasible set of requirements from the customer/client at the outset of development can result in the user receiving a final system that bears little resemblance to the original system he envisaged. Alternatively they may receive a system that appears to fit the requirements, but does not have inherent quality. Many solutions to the problems of communication in Requirements Engineering have been proposed with varying degrees of success. This paper will demonstrate how SSADM Version 4. handles (or fails to handle) issues of quality during the requirements engineering phase.

Using Allspeak To Reverse Engineer KBSSpecifications

Abstract: The maintenance of Knowledge Based Systems (KBS) is often hampered by inadequate or incorrect system specification documents. It results from software being perfected and updated without similar consideration being given to the original specification. This is particularly so in the manufacturing and production engineering industry where the emphasis is on ensuring that plant continues to be productive, i.e. remain in operation. However, to achieve continuous operation, it is suggested that the operating manuals for such KBS are kept up to date. This observation is exploited, to address the maintenance of inadequate specifications, through a process of reverse engineering whereby the maintenance engineer commences the maintenance task with "up to date" operation manuals and "reverse engineers", using KBS development tools, to produce a correct software specification on which further maintenance can be based. We illustrate the process of reverse engineering using ALLSPEAK (RAMJET Software's proto-typing environment). This is supported by a KBS toolkit based on concepts originally espoused in SSADM (Structured Systems Analysis and Design Methodology). A feature of ALLSPEAK is its ability to produce a proto-type system very early on the KBS life-cycle. This feature can thus be applied to the rebuilt KBS specification and the resulting emulation used to confirm the correctness of the specification. Transactions on Information and Communications Technologies vol 1, © 1993 WIT Press, www.witpress.com, ISSN 1743-3517