Ask the Experts
Ask the Experts
Software development lifecycle
-
How ALM differs from SDLC
ALM and SDLC both cover much of the same ground, such as development, testing and deployment. Where these lifecycle concepts differ is the scope of what they include. Continue Reading
-
How to elicit performance requirements
Eliciting performance requirements from business end users necessitates a clearly defined scope and the right set of questions. Expert Mary Gorman explains how to effectively gather information. Continue Reading
-
What are the types of requirements in software engineering?
Requirements fall into three categories: business, user and software. See examples of each one, as well as what constitutes functional and nonfunctional kinds of software requirements. Continue Reading
-
Functional vs. nonfunctional requirements in software engineering
Learn the meaning of functional vs. nonfunctional requirements in software engineering, with helpful examples. Then, see how to write both and build a product that users will love. Continue Reading
-
What are the QA risks in automated software release management?
Beware the QA threats of software release management automation, warns Brian Kirsch. Application release automation enables fast deployment, but be sure to catch bugs first. Continue Reading
-
How do I understand runtime environments?
Whether it's C, Java or Adobe, it's important to understand the differences among runtime environments. Expert Stephen J. Bigelow outlines the various choices. Continue Reading
-
The good and the bad of online discussion forums
What is the value of online discussion forums? This expert sees the good and the bad in online forums. Continue Reading
-
Define project scope in terms of time, money and quality
We all want our projects to be on budget, on time and of high quality, but not necessarily in that order. What is your advice for balancing these needs? Continue Reading
-
How QA testers participate in the requirements definition process
Learn how QA testers should participate in the requirements definition process in this expert response. Continue Reading
-
How do requirements relate to acceptance criteria?
Requirements and acceptance criteria often seem to be essentially the same thing, but that's not quite true. Continue Reading
-
How Amazon CloudWatch provides automated APM tools
Amazon CloudWatch provides AWS customers with automated APM tools that they can use to keep applications and businesses running smoothly. Continue Reading
-
A well-developed software requirements specification is easy to test
SearchSoftwareQuality expert Scott Sehlhorst discusses how to avoid writing a software requirements specification that is too vague to be tested. Continue Reading
-
Understanding the dependencies between requirements in a Scrum environment
Prioritizing user stories for each iteration in a Scrum environment can be challenging if the project owner does not understand the dependencies between requirements. In this expert response, Lisa Crispin shares best practices for prioritizing user ... Continue Reading
-
How user stories help to define software requirements
User stories play an important role when defining requirements and they also contribute to living documentation during the software development process. In this expert response, Lisa Crispin offers key practices for ensuring that requirements align ... Continue Reading
-
Mapping software requirements to test cases
Even though you must have at least one test case per requirement, it's possible not to have a one-to-one mapping between each requirement and test case. In this response, expert Sue Burk explains how it is important to trace the relationship between... Continue Reading
-
Functional requirements and nonfunctional requirements in software engineering explained
Clearly defining both functional and nonfunctional requirements in software engineering projects is important from both a business perspective and a performance perspective. In this expert response, Sue Burk offers definitions and examples for both ... Continue Reading
-
Who determines the appropriate severity or priority for a defect?
There are often differences of opinion on the definition of severity or priority of a defect. The bottom line is determining when and if the defect will be fixed. Factors that need to be considered are customer urgency and time required to fix and ... Continue Reading
-
Problems caused by skipping analysis stage of SDLC
A requirements expert explains the possible pitfalls of skipping the analysis phase in the software life cycle development (SDLC). Continue Reading
-
Differentiating between Functional and Nonfunctional Requirements
Many of the difficulties encountered in defining requirements relate to the functional-nonfunctional distinction. As so often happens, some of those difficulties are things of which people are aware, largely realizing after-the-fact that ... Continue Reading
-
Is a requirements freeze in a software project a bad idea?
Learn why imposing a requirements freeze in an application project is usually a misguided idea. Continue Reading
-
Use cases and SRS for requirements gathering
Before comparing use cases and software requirements specifications, you should know what each is. Requirements expert Robin Goldsmith explains how use cases and SRS work and how to use them for requirements engineering. Continue Reading
-
How to estimate change requests in requirements
Software requirements are often subject to change; using a sound estimation process helps greatly to manage change. Requirements expert Betty Luedke explains, in detail, how to implement good estimation techniques. Continue Reading
-
Use cases: Who writes them, what data do you include?
Typically a business analyst writes the use cases for a software project. But who writes them doesn't matter as much as what is included in them, says expert Robin Goldsmith. Continue Reading
-
Testability requirements and verification work
Testability and verifiability are a category of nonfunctional requirements. Expert Roxanne Miller explains how these concepts fit into software requirements engineering. Continue Reading
-
Requirements gathering for payroll application
Engineering requirements for a payroll or similar application demands careful consideration. Expert Rob Apmann explains how to approach this complicated task. Continue Reading
-
How to structure a software requirements document
Effective requirements documentation is essential for any good software project. Expert Karl E. Wiegers explains how to structure your software requirements documents. Continue Reading
-
Software requirements specification and IEEE standards
What does the IEEE outline for requirements specifications, and how strictly should you abide by that standard? Expert Karl E. Wiegers digs into the details of an SRS. Continue Reading
-
Estimating project costs, writing project reports
Estimating the cost of a software development project and writing a suitable project report are not necessarily difficult tasks. Bas de Baar breaks down project reporting and cost estimation for beginners. Continue Reading
-
Clarifying software requirements
Software requirements engineering is impeded by unclear, indeterminate requirements. Expert Karl E. Wiegers explains how analysts can clarify requirements with users. Continue Reading