The User Interface Transition Diagram (UITD) is a formal modeling notation that simplifies the specification and design of user-system interactions. It is a valuable communication tool for technical and non-technical ...The User Interface Transition Diagram (UITD) is a formal modeling notation that simplifies the specification and design of user-system interactions. It is a valuable communication tool for technical and non-technical stakeholders during the requirements elicitation phase, as it provides a simple yet technically complete notation that is easy to understand. In this paper, we investigated the efficiency of creating UITDs using draw.io, a widely used diagramming software, compared to a dedicated UITD editor. We conducted a study to compare the time required to use each tool to complete the task of creating a medium size UITD, as well as the subjective ease of use and satisfaction of participants with the dedicated Editor. Our results show that the UITD editor is more efficient and preferred by participants, highlighting the importance of using specialized tools for creating formal models such as UITDs. The findings of this study have implications for software developers, designers, and other stakeholders involved in the specification and design of user-system interactions.展开更多
In this work, we present DUSM （Disciplined Use Cases with Screen Mockups）, a novel method for describing and refining requirements specifications based on disciplined use cases and screen mockups. Disciplined use ca...In this work, we present DUSM （Disciplined Use Cases with Screen Mockups）, a novel method for describing and refining requirements specifications based on disciplined use cases and screen mockups. Disciplined use cases are characterized by a quite stringent template to prevent common mistakes, and to increase the quality of the specifications. Use cases descriptions are formulated in a structured natural language, which allows to reach a good level of precision, avoiding the need for further notations and complex models. Screen mockups are precisely associated with the steps of the use cases scenarios and they present the corresponding GUIs （graphical user interfaces） as seen by the human actors before/after the steps executions, improving the comprehension and the expression of the non-functional requirements on the user interface. DUSM has been proposed and fine-tuned during several editions of a software engineering course at the University of Genova. Then, by means of a series of case studies and experiments, we validated the method and evaluated： 1） its effectiveness in improving the comprehension and, in general, the quality of the produced requirements specification, and 2） its applicability in the industry, where the method has been found useful and not particularly onerous.展开更多
The paper presents the embedded real-time software-oriented requirements engineering environment—SREZ. It involves the whole process of software requirements engineering, including the definition, analysis and checki...The paper presents the embedded real-time software-oriented requirements engineering environment—SREZ. It involves the whole process of software requirements engineering, including the definition, analysis and checking of requirements ,specifications. We first explain the principles of the executable specification language RTRSM. Subsequently, we introduce the main functions of SREE, illustrate the methods and techniques of checking requirements specifications, especially how to perform simulation execution, combining prototyping method with RTRSM and animated representations. At last, we compare the SREE with other requirements specifications methods and make a summary for SREE＇s advantages.展开更多
Automatically mapping a requirement specification to design model in Software Engineering is an open complex problem. Existing methods use a complex manual process that use the knowledge from the requirement specifica...Automatically mapping a requirement specification to design model in Software Engineering is an open complex problem. Existing methods use a complex manual process that use the knowledge from the requirement specification/modeling and the design, and try to find a good match between them. The key task done by designers is to convert a natural language based requirement specification (or corresponding UML based representation) into a predominantly computer language based design model—thus the process is very complex as there is a very large gap between our natural language and computer language. Moreover, this is not just a simple language conversion, but rather a complex knowledge conversion that can lead to meaningful design implementation. In this paper, we describe an automated method to map Requirement Model to Design Model and thus automate/partially automate the Structured Design (SD) process. We believe, this is the first logical step in mapping a more complex requirement specification to design model. We call it IRTDM (Intelligent Agent based requirement model to design model mapping). The main theme of IRTDM is to use some AI (Artificial Intelligence) based algorithms, semantic representation using Ontology or Predicate Logic, design structures using some well known design framework and Machine Learning algorithms for learning over time. Semantics help convert natural language based requirement specification (and associated UML representation) into high level design model followed by mapping to design structures. AI method can also be used to convert high level design structures into lower level design which then can be refined further by some manual and/or semi automated process. We emphasize that automation is one of the key ways to minimize the software cost, and is very important for all, especially, for the “Design for the Bottom 90% People” or BOP (Base of the Pyramid People).展开更多
文摘The User Interface Transition Diagram (UITD) is a formal modeling notation that simplifies the specification and design of user-system interactions. It is a valuable communication tool for technical and non-technical stakeholders during the requirements elicitation phase, as it provides a simple yet technically complete notation that is easy to understand. In this paper, we investigated the efficiency of creating UITDs using draw.io, a widely used diagramming software, compared to a dedicated UITD editor. We conducted a study to compare the time required to use each tool to complete the task of creating a medium size UITD, as well as the subjective ease of use and satisfaction of participants with the dedicated Editor. Our results show that the UITD editor is more efficient and preferred by participants, highlighting the importance of using specialized tools for creating formal models such as UITDs. The findings of this study have implications for software developers, designers, and other stakeholders involved in the specification and design of user-system interactions.
文摘In this work, we present DUSM （Disciplined Use Cases with Screen Mockups）, a novel method for describing and refining requirements specifications based on disciplined use cases and screen mockups. Disciplined use cases are characterized by a quite stringent template to prevent common mistakes, and to increase the quality of the specifications. Use cases descriptions are formulated in a structured natural language, which allows to reach a good level of precision, avoiding the need for further notations and complex models. Screen mockups are precisely associated with the steps of the use cases scenarios and they present the corresponding GUIs （graphical user interfaces） as seen by the human actors before/after the steps executions, improving the comprehension and the expression of the non-functional requirements on the user interface. DUSM has been proposed and fine-tuned during several editions of a software engineering course at the University of Genova. Then, by means of a series of case studies and experiments, we validated the method and evaluated： 1） its effectiveness in improving the comprehension and, in general, the quality of the produced requirements specification, and 2） its applicability in the industry, where the method has been found useful and not particularly onerous.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foun-dation of China(69873035) the K.C. Wong Education Foundation,Hong Kong,China
文摘The paper presents the embedded real-time software-oriented requirements engineering environment—SREZ. It involves the whole process of software requirements engineering, including the definition, analysis and checking of requirements ,specifications. We first explain the principles of the executable specification language RTRSM. Subsequently, we introduce the main functions of SREE, illustrate the methods and techniques of checking requirements specifications, especially how to perform simulation execution, combining prototyping method with RTRSM and animated representations. At last, we compare the SREE with other requirements specifications methods and make a summary for SREE＇s advantages.
文摘Automatically mapping a requirement specification to design model in Software Engineering is an open complex problem. Existing methods use a complex manual process that use the knowledge from the requirement specification/modeling and the design, and try to find a good match between them. The key task done by designers is to convert a natural language based requirement specification (or corresponding UML based representation) into a predominantly computer language based design model—thus the process is very complex as there is a very large gap between our natural language and computer language. Moreover, this is not just a simple language conversion, but rather a complex knowledge conversion that can lead to meaningful design implementation. In this paper, we describe an automated method to map Requirement Model to Design Model and thus automate/partially automate the Structured Design (SD) process. We believe, this is the first logical step in mapping a more complex requirement specification to design model. We call it IRTDM (Intelligent Agent based requirement model to design model mapping). The main theme of IRTDM is to use some AI (Artificial Intelligence) based algorithms, semantic representation using Ontology or Predicate Logic, design structures using some well known design framework and Machine Learning algorithms for learning over time. Semantics help convert natural language based requirement specification (and associated UML representation) into high level design model followed by mapping to design structures. AI method can also be used to convert high level design structures into lower level design which then can be refined further by some manual and/or semi automated process. We emphasize that automation is one of the key ways to minimize the software cost, and is very important for all, especially, for the “Design for the Bottom 90% People” or BOP (Base of the Pyramid People).
