[Year 12 SofDev] Diagrams in the SRS - of which system?

[Mark]

Hi all. I've been keeping my nose out of SD affairs this year, but I need
to chip in here.

Let's look at indicative mentions of the role of the SRS in the past few
VCAA exams...

--------------
*2016*

C2 - "Sue-Lee begins to plan the software requirements specifications
(SRS). She understands that she will need to follow the goals and
objectives of Soul & Body Health."

She is following the *current* goals of the organisation in the SRS - not
the goals of the org when the old system was created.

--------------------

*2015*

C1 - "The council has appointed the company Marvellous Management Systems
(MMS) to produce the voting software. The council has provided the
information in the case study insert and has asked MMS for the software
requirements specifications (SRS) document as soon as possible.
Explain the purpose of the SRS document. "

The VCAA answer says, "The following is an example of a high-scoring
response.
The SRS is written after the proposed solution has been analysed and
contains the solution
requirements, the scope, constraints and its intended operating
environment. *The purpose of*
*the SRS is to provide direction to the developers so they clearly
understand what the solution*
*must do*, what to include, what not to include and it helps them focus on
the project."

The SRS describes what the solution "must do".  Not "what the old system
did."
The SRS is about the NEW system requirements. Not the old system's
requirements.

And

"The *purpose of the SRS* *is to provide direction to the developers so
they clearly understand what the solution must do, what to include*, what
not to include and it helps them focus on the project"

Clearly, this refers to the new solution, not the old system.

--------------------

*2013*

C1 - The question is about what to do before design...

The VCAA exam feedback said, "The following are examples of appropriate
student responses.

Prepare a Software Requirements Specification (SRS) which *will be used in
the later stages of the project*."

The SRS is intended to guide development of the NEW system. It should not
describe the old/existing system.

--------------------------

*2012*

a13 - "One of the purposes of an SRS is to provide...
The answer was -
A. the breakdown of a problem into its component parts."

Why break down an *old* problem? Surely it's logical to break down the *NEW
or current* problem.

c2 - "Ilma begins to draw a context diagram (below) so that it is clear
where AQADAS will get its data from and to whom it will provide
information. Based on the case study, including the data flow diagram (DFD;
Diagram 3), complete the diagram for Ilma."

The DFD is part of the SRS, and Ilma's is providing information on where
the system WILL get its data from and to whom it WILL provide information.

*Future* tense. It refers to the *new* system, not the *old *one.

*My Conclusion*

It makes no logical sense to document an existing (broken) system that is
to be replaced.
IMHO, the SRS should analyse the needs of the *replacement* system.

Mark


On 19 March 2017 at 14:49, Vella, James <jvella at mackillop.vic.edu.au> wrote:

> The diagrams should be of the existing system or process.
>
> Regardless of whether students are looking to meet a need or opportunity,
> there is almost always some existing system or manual process in place.
>
> The SRS is part of the Analysis stage - not the Design stage.
>
> Regards
>
> James
> ________________________________________
>

-- 

Mark Kelly

mark at vceit.com
http://vceit.com

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