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On Mon, Apr 9, 2012 at 8:13 PM, Keith Hood <klhra -at- yahoo -dot- com> wrote:
> These are requirements you're working with. A requirement is just that - something that is required. It's something that the software must do. So the requirement should be written as an imperative - the software will or the software must.
>
>
> For the purpose statement of the requirement, just put "The RCP will provide the user a mechanism for schlepping the pekele."
>
> That says what functionality has to be built in but allows a lot of slop in deciding exactly how to implement it, just the way programmers want it.
>
>
> When you write the specs for that requirement, there's where you can put in nitpicking about whether the pekele schlepping dialog box is modal, whether or not it has a cancel button, etc.
>
> What the frabjapping bleep is a pekele?
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> ÂFrom: Dan Goldstein <DGoldstein -at- riveraintech -dot- com>
> To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> Sent: Monday, April 9, 2012 7:26 AM
> Subject: "Allow" vs. "Require"
>
> I'm working with Development on a very large set of design requirements.
> There are many requirements that describe the software ("RCP") either
> allowing or requiring an action by the user. There was some question as
> to whether "allow" would be understood as an optional action, as in:
> "The RCP shall allow the user to schlep the pekele," i.e., the user may
> choose to schlep the pekele but doesn't have to.
>
> One suggestion was: "The RCP shall optionally allow the user to schlep
> the pekele," or similarly, "The RCP shall allow the user to optionally
> schlep the pekele." But I don't like either of those very much.
>
> I'm looking for something just as concise but a little less awkward.
> "The RCP shall allow the user the option of schlepping the pekele"
> sounds a little better to me, but I hate to turn a robust infinitive
> into a namby-pamby gerund.
>
> Thoughts?
>
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Kathleen MacDowell
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