Explain like I'm five · SW Eng

What is Requirements Engineering?

Requirements engineering and specification, told as a story about interviewing readers and the editor before writing, and setting it all down as a precise outline.

the writer just started writing without asking anyonethe more it's written, the more needs fixing

The writer just started writing without asking anyone.The more it's written, the more needs fixing.

I want an easy picture bookno, add the hard stories toowhen the reader and editor want different things, the writer doesn't know what to write

The reader and the editor want different things.When the reader and the editor want different things, the writer doesn't know what to write.

a requirements engineer interviews readers and the editor, then writes their wishes down as a precise outlineturning vague wishes into clear sentences

A requirements engineer interviews readers and the editor, then writes what they want as a precise outline.Turning vague wishes into clear sentences.

Listen through interviewsasking readers and the editor directly
Write the wishes down in ordergathering them into one outline
Clear up ambiguityturning vague wishes into clear sentences
Get it confirmedshowing the outline back to readers to confirm
WHAT GOES IN THE SPECfunctional — what the book must donon-functional — how fast, how easyconstraints — budget and deadlinepriority — what matters moredoesn't copy readers' words — organizes them firstif a reader's wish is vague, ask again until it's clear

The outline holds functional requirements, non-functional requirements, constraints, and priorities.A requirements engineer doesn't copy readers' words — they organize them first.

requirements engineering gives you a precise outlinebut the writer still has to write the manuscriptrequirements engineering clarifies what to write — it doesn't write it for you

The outline doesn't write the manuscript for you.Requirements engineering clarifies what to write — it doesn't write the book for you.

In one breath

Requirements engineering = interviewing readers and the editor before writing, and setting down what to write as a clear outline.

Requirements engineering handles requirements through four stages: elicitation, analysis, specification, and validation. The requirements specification is its output, separating functional requirements (what it must do) from non-functional ones (how fast, how safely). If the spec is ambiguous, the later that is caught, the more it costs to fix.

When grown-ups say it

Requirements Engineering
The whole business of asking before writing. Four stages: elicitation, analysis, specification, validation.
Requirements Specification
The outline where requirements are written down in order. Separates functional from non-functional requirements.
ISP/ISMP
Mapping the publishing roadmap. A bigger unit than requirements engineering — the whole house's direction. → the one who maps the publishing roadmap
IS Audit/PMO
The checker who watches the whole publishing run. Whether the spec was followed is one thing audit checks. → the checker who watches the whole publishing run
Traceability
Tracing one outline line to where it ended up in the manuscript. Used to check nothing got dropped.
Requirements Change Management
How to handle a change of mind mid-write. The outline isn't written just once and done.
UML
The design map drawn before writing. Also used to express the spec visually. → the design map drawn before writing
Requirements Prioritization
Lining up what goes in first. Decided within budget and deadline.
Next story
Writing a Chapter at a Time, and Showing It →
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