Exploiting CAFS-ISP

In the summer of 1982, the ICLCUA CAFS Special Interest Group defined three subject areas for working party activity. These were: 1) interfaces with compilers and databases, 2) end-user language facilities and display methods, and 3) text-handling and office automation. The CAFS SIG convened one working party to address the first subject with the following terms of reference: 1) review facilities and map requirements onto them, 2) "Database or CAFS" or "Database on CAFS", 3) training needs for users to bridge to new techniques, and 4) repair specifications to cover gaps in software. The working party interpreted the topic broadly as the data processing professional's, rather than the end-user's, view of and relationship with CAFS. This report is the result of the working party's activities. The report content for good reasons exceeds the terms of reference in their strictest sense. For example, we examine QUERYMASTER, which is deemed to be an end-user tool by ICL, from both the DP and end-user perspectives. First, this is the only interface to CAFS in the current SV201. Secondly, it is necessary for the DP department to understand the end-user's interface to CAFS. Thirdly, the other subjects have not yet been addressed by other active working parties.

Case-based analysis in user requirements modelling for knowledge construction

Context: Learning can be regarded as knowledge construction in which prior knowledge and experience serve as basis for the learners to expand their knowledge base. Such a process of knowledge construction has to take place continuously in order to enhance the learners’ competence in a competitive working environment. As the information consumers, the individual users demand personalised information provision which meets their own specific purposes, goals, and expectations. Objectives: The current methods in requirements engineering are capable of modelling the common user’s behaviour in the domain of knowledge construction. The users’ requirements can be represented as a case in the defined structure which can be reasoned to enable the requirements analysis. Such analysis needs to be enhanced so that personalised information provision can be tackled and modelled. However, there is a lack of suitable modelling methods to achieve this end. This paper presents a new ontological method for capturing individual user’s requirements and transforming the requirements onto personalised information provision specifications. Hence the right information can be provided to the right user for the right purpose. Method: An experiment was conducted based on the qualitative method. A medium size of group of users participated to validate the method and its techniques, i.e. articulates, maps, configures, and learning content. The results were used as the feedback for the improvement. Result: The research work has produced an ontology model with a set of techniques which support the functions for profiling user’s requirements, reasoning requirements patterns, generating workflow from norms, and formulating information provision specifications. Conclusion: The current requirements engineering approaches provide the methodical capability for developing solutions. Our research outcome, i.e. the ontology model with the techniques, can further enhance the RE approaches for modelling the individual user’s needs and discovering the user’s requirements.

Goal sketching: towards agile requirements engineering

This paper describes a technique that can be used as part of a simple and practical agile method for requirements engineering. The technique can be used together with Agile Programming to develop software in internet time. We illustrate the technique and introduce lazy refinement, responsibility composition and context sketching. Goal sketching has been used in a number of real-world development projects, one of which is described here.