Software Requirements Specification for B.SC. IT SEM-VI
What is contained in a Software Requirements Specification?
A software requirement specification in its most basic form is a formal document used in communicating the software requirements between the customer and the developer. With this in mind then the minimum amount of information that the software requirement specification should contain is a list of requirements which has been agreed by both parties. However the requirements will only give a narrow view of the system, so more information is required to place the system into a context which defines the purpose of the system, an overview of the systems functions and the type of user that the system will have. This additional information will aid the developer in creating a software system which will be aimed at the user’s ability and the clients function.
The purpose of the SRS is to:
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Establish the basis for agreement between the customers and the suppliers on what the software product is to do. The complete description of the functions to be performed by the software specified in the SRS will assist the potential user to determine if the software specified meets their needs or how the software must be modified to meet their needs
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Provide a basis for developing the software design. The SRS is the most important document of reference in developing a design
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Reduce the development effort. The preparation of the SRS forces the various concerned groups in the customer's organisation to thoroughly consider all of the requirements before design work begins. A complete and correct SRS reduces effort waisted on redesign, recoding and retesting. Careful review of the requirements in the SRS can reveal omissions, misunderstandings and inconsistencies early in the development cycle when these problems are easier to correct
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Provide a basis for estimating costs and schedules. The description of the product to be developed as given in the SRS is a realistic basis for estimating project costs and can be used to obtain approval for bids or price estimates
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Provide a baseline for validation and verification. Organisations can develop their test documentation much more productively from a good SRS. As a part of the development contract, the SRS provides a baseline against which compliance can be measured
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Facilitate transfer. The SRS makes it easier to transfer the software product to new users or new machines. Customers thus find it easier to transfer the software to other parts of their organisation and suppliers find it easier to transfer it to new customers
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Serve as a basis for enhancement. Because the SRS discusses the product but not the project that developed it, the SRS serves as a basis for later enhancement of the finished product. The SRS may need to be altered, but it does provide a foundation for continued product evaluation.