Requirement Gathering & Analysis

Requirement Engineering

• If you build a bridge in the wrong place, it doesn't matter how well the bridge was built. It is useless. The same applies to software.

1. Types of Requirements

A. Functional Requirements

• Examples:
  • 'The user must be able to log in using an email and password.'
  • 'The system must allow the user to add an item to a shopping cart.'
  • 'The admin can generate a monthly sales report.'

B. Non-Functional Requirements

• Examples:
  • Performance: 'The website must load within 2 seconds.'
  • Security: 'All user passwords must be encrypted in the database.'
  • Scalability: 'The system must handle 10,000 users simultaneously.'

2. Requirement Gathering Techniques

• Interviews: Talking directly to the stakeholders and end-users.
• Questionnaires / Surveys: Sending out forms to gather input from a large number of people.
• Observation: Watching users do their daily jobs to see where a new software system could help.
• Prototyping: Building a quick, fake 'dummy' screen of the software so the user can visualize it and give feedback.

3. The SRS Document

• What is it? A comprehensive document detailing exactly what the software will do and the constraints under which it must operate.
• Why is it important? It acts as an agreement between the development team and the customer. If a feature is not in the SRS, the developers don't have to build it.