Towards a document structure editor for software requirements analysis

Of the six or seven phases of the software engineering life cycle, requirements analysis tends to be the least understood and the least formalized. Correspondingly, a scarcity of useful software tools exist which aid in the development of user and system requirements. It is proposed that requirements analysis should culminate in a set of documents similar to those that usually accompany a delivered Software product. The design of a software tool, the Document Structure Editor, which facilitates the development of such documentation

Specification languages for embedded systems : a survey

Requirements specification is an important part of the software development process. Use of well developed techniques, tools, and languages during requirements specification is especially crucial for complex embedded software systems. Four langauges appropriate for the specification of software requirements for complex embedded systems (RSL, PAISLey, Statecharts, and SCR) are reviewed in detail here. In addition, other representation languages with features relevant to the embedded software systems domain are mentioned. Conclusions about the current status of embedded systems requirements specification and indications of further research are given

Consistency checking of requirements specifications using structured analysis diagrams

Call number: LD2668 .T4 CMSC 1987 F74Master of ScienceComputing and Information Science

An Object Oriented Paradigm for Requirements Specifications.

Software engineering defines a formalized five-step life-cycle for software development. These steps are: requirements specification, design, implementation, testing and maintenance. The requirements specification phase of the software development life-cycle is responsible for determining the functionality of the proposed system. In this work, a methodology is developed that enhances the generation of accurate requirements specifications, utilizing an object-oriented paradigm. This research realizes four objectives. First, the process of information transferral between the user and the specification team is enhanced. Second, a working base of knowledge containing the domain-specific information within the initial requirements document is established for use by the specification team. Third, techniques for evaluating the overall quality of the initial requirements document are addressed. Specifically, the problems associated with document ambiguity, completeness, consistency and structure are examined. Finally, a specification paradigm is defined utilizing this knowledge-based specification environment. The paradigm permits the automatic generation of an object-oriented specification model. This model may then be used as an input for the design phase. This paradigm defines a methodology for the establishment and evaluation of the knowledge-based specification environment. The environment permits the incorporation of an object-oriented development strategy into the specification process. In addition, the concept of information traceability throughout the specification process is enhanced

Ada as a design specification language

The primary thesis objective is research into current approaches to design specification languages, emphasizing Ada. Requirements specification is touched upon. Design specification is explored and related to requirements and implementation. The role of language in design is discussed, as well as objectives of the design specification and features that a specification language should provide in order to meet those objectives. Formal language is contrasted with natural language. Some formal specification languages are described, both Ada related and not Ada related. The secondary objective, the thesis project, is to illustrate a design specification in a formal language, Ada. The purpose of the project is to compare the Ada expression of an example design with the natural language specification for the same system

Requirements modelling of real-time systems

Real-time systems are characterised by the critical nature of their missions, and the demanding environment with which they interact. Real-time systems are used for dedicated applications. Every application is the subject of special requirements enforced by the customer. Considering the vital role that these systems play, it is imperative that a systematic approach be adopted in modelling their unique requirements. In this thesis I propose such a treatment. Real-time systems are time critical. Temporal requirements are the timing restrictions imposed by the application environment. Previous studies in requirements modelling of real-time systems have focused on adding the notion of time to modelling techniques of traditional systems without regard to the realities of requirements modelling. The information should be presented in the way the user handles it, and not the way which is convenient to the software engineer. I attempt to understand the needs of the users better by modelling the real world as close to the user's perspective as possible, and propose the Real World Model (RWM). RWM is assumed to be developed by users, and requirements engineers. An engineering approach to building the model is provided. A real-time system has a well defined use to its community. A requirements model must rely on the user level activities, and aid the human understanding and communication. In the RWM, a real-time system is viewed as a set of concurrently acting automata, each representing a system entity. This model supports temporal reasoning in easily described ways, for all classes of timing properties. A generalised classification of timing constraints is provided. A requirements modelling language facilitates the description of requirements, and serves as a medium of communication among developers and stakeholders. Jarke et al [Jarke 94] observe that there is a need for a requirements language that manages the relationship between the meta-level domain scheme, and the scenarios that actually instantiate the scheme under development. Here I propose Timed Requirements Language (TRL) to bridge this gulf between the world of stakeholders, and the world of specifiers. TRL has natural looking expressions for formulating the needs. TRL has a number of novel features including the treatment of causality, and the description of static, and dynamic constraints all integrated into one uniform framework. TRL has been used with a number of systems. The generality of the language is validated through its application to specific systems

First International Conference on Ada (R) Programming Language Applications for the NASA Space Station, volume 1

Topics discussed include: test and verification; environment issues; distributed Ada issues; life cycle issues; Ada in Europe; management/training issues; common Ada interface set; and run time issues

A methodology for the design, implementation and evaluation of intelligent systems with an application to critical care medicine

This thesis illustrates the technology required to provide a new generation of clinical instrumentation systems for critical care medicine. This advance in measurement science is gained from the use of a knowledge-based component able to process information as well as data. To implement a clinical information system using knowledge-based technology requires prior knowledge of human and computer-based activity within the critical domain. A historical perspective is given to both of these topics which reflects the genesis of current practice. The application area is introduced by investigating a control system approach to managing patients who require ventilatory therapy. It was found that no current methodology is wholly appropriate when a knowledge-based component is included in the technological paradigm. Therefore, a novel methodology for system design, implementation and evaluation is proposed, and its utility tested in the aforementioned application domain. The detailed processes involved in the evolution of a prototype system which aids the clinical user in the art of ventilatory therapy are shown. Three levels of machine intelligence are shown to be required, based on: context-sensitive deterministic mechanisms; pattern cognition; and decision support elements. A wider discussion of the important points raised in the practical use of the methodology focuses upon the philosophical basis of clinical information systems and the processes of knowledge elicitation, knowledge representation and intelligent system evaluation