IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering · 1986 · 619 citations · 6 references
EngineeringDesignDesign TheoryRequirements EngineeringSoftware EngineeringDesign ProcessRequirements AnalysisRequirements DocumentationRequirements ElicitationSoftware DesignSoftware DocumentationDesign Process DocumentationDesign RationalesRational DesignRequirements Engineering ProcessSoftware Requirements Specification
Software engineers have long sought a systematic design process that derives programs from precise requirements. The paper proposes that, although such a process cannot successfully produce a real product, one can generate documentation that makes it appear the software was designed by that systematic method, and argues why this approach should be pursued. The authors describe the ideal design process, outline the required documentation, and explain how to produce the documentation that would result from that process.
Many have sought a software design process that allows a program to be derived systematically from a precise statement of requirements. It is proposed that, although designing a real product in that way will not be successful, it is possible to produce documentation that makes it appear that the software was designed by such a process. The ideal process and the documentation that it requires are described. The authors explain why one should attempt to design according to the ideal process and why one should produce the documentation that would have been produced by that process. The contents of each of the required documents are outlined.
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