Re: Software functional spec

Subject: Re: Software functional spec
From: "Anthony Markatos" <tonymar -at- hotmail -dot- com>
To: perrya -at- jps -dot- net, techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
Date: Sat, 26 Feb 2000 10:14:29 PST

Perry Moore asks:

Can anyone provide info as to how a TW writes a Software Functional Spec for a GUI interface? What are the key elements the TW should know? What is the document used for?

Tony Markatos responds:

The Software Functional Spec is an input to the software design process. It tells the designers the essential tasks (functions) that the software must accomplish.

The primary thing required to write clear, concise, comprehensive functional specifications (GUI interface or not) is an understanding of:

* The purpose of the product. (Often this is not readily apparent.)

* The scope of the work area considered in developing the product. (Will include both automated and manual tasks.)

And, within the scope, a rigorous understanding of:

* The end-user's goals and how all of those goals interrelate.

* The essential data relationships.

* The current tasks accomplished (both automated and manual) to achieve each goal.

* The steps required to accomplish each task.

To get the above understandings, you need a copy of the following (requirements analysis related) documentation:

* Data Flow Diagrams (or something similar to DFDs) - and supporting text/logical flow-charts.

* Entity relationships diagrams (or something similar to ERDs).

* Optionally, Use Cases. (Use Cases are the current rage - especially within the OOA community. However, I have found, OO or not, that I can forego having to create such by making my DFD's highly slanted towards typical scenarios.)

If you do not get the above from the folks "upstream" in the development process (and most often you won't), you will have to create such yourself.

Once you obtain an understanding of the current tasks/steps, you change them as necessary per the new automation. While end-user goals don't change, tasks/steps do with new automation.

Per automated task, the functional requirements are simply a restatement of the steps as requirements. For example, if one of the steps within a given automated task will be "Calculate sales tax". Then the requirement is written as: "The system shall be able to automatically calculate sales tax."

Next, for each functional requirement, you need to write a validation criteria. For example, a validation criteria for the requirement "The system shall be able to automatically calculate sales tax." would be something like "The sales tax must be calculated to at least two decimal places.". (Validation criteria are a primary input into testing.)

The above is a bare-bones approach to writing functional requirements specs. Additional things like the risks associated to implementing each requirement and the priority of each requirement may also need to be documented.

Tony Markatos
(tonymar -at- hotmail -dot- com)

Discover the true meaning of life - always drive within posted speed limits. A. Markatos



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