[Year 12 SofDev] usability - NF requirement or constraint or both???

[Claudia Graham]

Hi Mark and Katherine,

I have always thought of scope as linked (dependant) to requirements and constraints.

For example Project X must be completed in 6 weeks and must work with current (legacy) system

As such you may have a list of FR & NFR that might need to be reduced to meet that time constraint and technology constraint. So the boundaries (scope) of this project will only be FR 1-5, FR 6-10 will be undertaken in project Xb, when time, money and resources allow.

Clearly if you have a small set of requirements the scope would probable include everything. For SD in 2016 what students want to do verses what they can do in the time frame could be very different.

Wishing all a restful break, hoping you get to 'holidays' sooner rather than later!
Regards
Claudia

Sent from my iPad

On 6 Dec 2015, at 12:47 PM, Mark <mark at vceit.com<mailto:mark at vceit.com>> wrote:

Hi Katherine.

I can see 'usability' being listed as an NFR in the sense that: 'The finished solution must be usable.'
It could also appear as a constraint on design choices for the same reason: 'The solution must be designed in a way that makes it very usable for the end-user.'

Much of a muchness. There is some natural overlap in theory concepts.

For example, I still can't work out how scope is different to defining all FR and NFR.
If you have defined ALL requirements, is the scope not also defined?
Anything that does not appear as a requirement must be - by definition - not in scope.

Otherwise, listing things that are not in scope could go on til the crack of doom.

e.g.

Solution: A toaster

In Scope:
- Scorch bread.
- Scorch muffins.
- Scorch crumpets.

Not in scope:
- Train elephants.
- Predict hurricanes.
- Solve crosswords.
- Blend mangoes.
- Pat the cat.
- Take the wife out dancing.
etc

Can anyone give an example of how something that is not a requirement still could be in scope?

Regards
Mark



On 6 December 2015 at 08:59, Young, Katherine A <young.katherine.a at edumail.vic.gov.au<mailto:young.katherine.a at edumail.vic.gov.au>> wrote:
Hi all,

I've attached a graphic organizer that will hopefully get my kids thinking more carefully during their analysis of a problem, need or opportunity. Do others use something similar? I'd love to hear your feedback.

However, in doing so I realized that usability is listed as both a non-functional requirement AND a constraint. My brain had been thinking that a social constraint such the users' level of expertise or some other "audience characteristic" would impose a non-functional requirement in relation to the usability of a solution.

Could someone please explain the difference between usability as a constraint and as a NF requirement? I know that I WILL be asked the same question :-/

Thank you!




Regards,

<Kate.jpg>


Katherine Young
11C Mentor
Mathematics & Information Technology Teacher

Castlemaine Secondary College
Etty Street Campus
Etty Street
Castlemaine VIC 3450
T: (03) 5479 4222   |  F: (03) 5479 4230


--

Mark Kelly

mark at vceit.com<mailto:mark at vceit.com>
http://vceit.com
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