Template for requirements documents

Marc Groenewegen (marcg@dinkum.nl)

May 5 2003

Document Information
Organisation	Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Utrecht (HKU)
Project name	Signature
Version	0.1
Status	draft
Location	mediate/signature/doc/db_requirements.xml
Audience	Gerard van Wolferen, Hans Timmermans

Abstract:
The abstract gives a short description of the contents of this document. This document describes the requirements to the Signature database. The Signature database is part of the Signature subsystem. In this database, all patterns found by the Signature analysis are stored.

6 Assumptions and dependencies

1 Introduction

The requirements specification contains all requirements to the system that has to be designed and built. For example, it states what the system will do, under what circumstances it must keep on functioning, how it reacts to external stimuli and how it works together with other subsystems. In some cases it can also be important to specify what the system will not do !

1.1 General remarks

Put illustrations like diagrams, pictures, flow charts etc. in this document wherever they help explaining your thoughts to others
Don't try to be too formal from the start, start out with a scrath-pad description and refine, detail and validate later
Add contextual information, e.g. when decisions are based on statements in other Mediate documents, insert a reference to those documents and where these statements can be found
If you're not sure in which section to put what you want to describe, invent new sections yourself and just write down your thoughts. Just make sure that the info gets somewhere in the document first and put it into perspective later.
Write down alternatives that were considered and thrown away (and why) in order to prevent starting the same discussions over and over again.

1.2 Purpose

Describe the purpose of this document (not of the system we're describing) and the intended audience.

1.3 Scope

Describe project constraints and parts that are deliberately NOT required.

2 List of definitions

Explain all terms, abbreviations and information that can be considered unknown to the reader.

3 General description

3.1 System overview

Give an overview without too much detail of the system that is described in this document.

3.2 Context

Give a short description of the context in which the (sub)system is placed and how it relates to other (sub)systems.

4 Detailed description

Describe all requirements in detail. Organise the information into functional sections.

4.1 Hardware

Describe the hardware components

4.2 Software

Describe the software components

4.3 The world outside

Describe the relation of this system to other systems and if special requirements exist w.r.t. the nature of the communication channels, give these requirements.

4.4 Performance

List all general performance requirements that have not already been mentioned in the previous sections.

4.5 User interface

Describe the requirements with respect to presentation of data to the user and the interaction with the user.

5 System integrity

Describe the circumstances under which correct functioning of the system has to be guaranteed. This can also involve describing what our system has to do when other systems fail.

6 Assumptions and dependencies

Describe assumptions made (if any) and if possible describe why they are assumptions and what they depend on or how they can be certified.

Template for requirements documents

Table Of Contents

1 Introduction

1.1 General remarks

1.2 Purpose

1.3 Scope

2 List of definitions

3 General description

3.1 System overview

3.2 Context

4 Detailed description

4.1 Hardware

4.2 Software

4.3 The world outside

4.4 Performance

4.5 User interface

5 System integrity

6 Assumptions and dependencies

1 Introduction

1.1 General remarks

1.2 Purpose

1.3 Scope

2 List of definitions

3 General description

3.1 System overview

3.2 Context

4 Detailed description

4.1 Hardware

4.2 Software

4.3 The world outside

4.4 Performance

4.5 User interface

5 System integrity

6 Assumptions and dependencies