Software Testing - Requirements Testing
A software is developed as per its requirements, and specifications. The categorization of requirements into various groups are very critical to track, prioritize, and control them. The requirements are mainly of three types domain, functional and non-functional.
What are Software Requirements?
As per the IEEE 729 standard, a requirement is known as the capacity or condition that should be able to provide solution to customers problems, achieve a purpose, and be the part of the software to meet the contract terms. It is a documented form of the capabilities or conditions of a software.
Types of Software Requirements
The different types of the software requirements are listed below −
Functional Requirements
These describe the features, and functionalities of the software, and what it is intended to do. Some of the examples of the functional requirements are processing payment, verifying user credentials, user notifications etc. Mostly these are validated via the functional testing.
Non-Functional Requirements
They describe how the software should perform an action, and verifies the quality parameters, performance, behavior, standards etc. Mostly these are validated via the non-functional testing. Some of the examples of the non-functional requirements are security, reliability, usability etc.
Domain Requirements
These are applicable to a particular industry or domain where the software should perform. They are applicable to standards, rules, and regulations for a specific domain. They cover the distinct requirements of individual industries, and confirm if the software is working as per the industry standards, and compliances. Some of the examples of the domain requirements are healthcare, e-commerce, defense etc.
Functional Requirements of a Software
The functional requirements are the ones which point to the fundamental functionalities that the software should have to satisfy the needs of the end users. It can be a simple data processing, user actions, or a specific feature which would describe the softwares objectives. All the functional requirements need to be mandatorily the part of the software as per contract. These are represented by inputs to be fed into the software, actions done, and output generated.
The functional requirements can be directly seen on the final software by the end user. For example, in an e-commerce application, the customer is able to see the list of products as per the search criteria. The high-level requirements include multiple actions or communication between various components of the software or with the end users.
To define all the functional requirements, all the use cases, and scenarios are summarized. The functional requirements are either described in natural language, formal language with syntax, or in a structured way. They are known as the functional specifications of the software.
Non-Functional Requirements of a Software
The non-functional requirements are the ones that describe the quality attributes that the software should have to meet the contract. They do not deal with the functionalities of the software and only describe how they should function. The limit to which these attributes are included in the software depends on project to project. They are also known as the non-behavioral requirements and related to the flexibility, reusability, reliability, scalability, security, portability, maintainability, and performance.
The non-functional requirements can be verified only if we have a clear understanding of the working of the software and the awareness of the context in which it should be able to perform. They are further divided into the categories namely interface constraints, operating constraints, lifecycle constraints, and economic constraints.
Domain Requirements of a Software
The domain requirements are the ones that point to the features of a specific group of domains. They can be either functional or non-functional. They include the fundamental functions that a software of a particular domain should have. For example, in a healthcare application, the functionality to check the availability of doctors in a hospital should be the part of domain requirements. Thus they are aligned to a specific domain not to users.
Classifications of Software Requirements
The different classifications of the software requirements are listed below −
User Requirements
They define what the customers want from the software.
System Requirements
They define the technical specifications namely hardware, architecture, software, interface etc, and form the part of system design.
Business Requirements
They define the business objectives, and purpose of the software.
Regulatory Requirements
They define the regulations, and compliances that the software should satisfy.
Interface Requirements
They define the communication between the software and external systems namely web services, databases, and other software.
Design Requirements
They define the technical design details namely the algorithms, data structure, architecture etc of the software.
Advantages of Software Requirements Classifications
The advantages of the software requirements classification are listed below −
- The software requirements classification assists in segregating them into groups for easy tracking, prioritization, and management throughout the software development life cycle(SDLC).
- The software requirement classification encourages clear communication among the developers, testers, and all the project stakeholders.
- The software requirement classification helps to identify errors, or gaps in the requirements, thereby they help to improve the overall quality of the software.
- The software requirement classification brings traceability which helps to develop the software as per the compliances, and regulations.
Disadvantages of Software Requirement Classifications
The disadvantages of the software requirement classification are listed below −
- The software requirement classification may become a complex activity if there are a wide variety of requirements, and stakeholders in the project.
- The software requirement classification may not give the opportunity to accommodate modifications in the requirements in between the software development.
- The errors during the requirement classification lead to misconceptions about the software during its development process.
Conclusion
This concludes our comprehensive take on the tutorial on Software Requirements. Weve started with describing what are software requirements, what are the different types of the software performance testing, what are the different types of the software requirements, what are the functional requirements of a software, what are the non-functional requirements of a software, what are the domain requirements of a software, what are the different classifications of software requirements, what are the advantages of software requirement classifications, and what are the disadvantages of software requirement classifications. This equips you with in-depth knowledge of Software Requirements. It is wise to keep practicing what youve learned and exploring others relevant to Software Testing to deepen your understanding and expand your horizons.