TY - GEN
T1 - A software requirements specification framework for objective pattern recognition
T2 - 16th IEEE International Conference on Engineering of Complex Computer Systems, ICECCS 2011
AU - Ghazarian, Arbi
AU - Tehrani, Mehdi Sagheb
AU - Ghazarian, Arin
PY - 2011
Y1 - 2011
N2 - The motivation behind pattern-oriented software development is to decompose complex problems into recognizable sub-problems with predefined solutions, hence promoting both the quality of the resulting software product and the efficiency of the development process through the reuse of optimal solutions (e.g., best practices). Unfortunately, due to the opportunistic (i.e., non-systematic and subjective) element inherent in the process of recognizing conventional patterns in a problem context, the full potential of a pattern-driven problem-solving strategy has not been yet realized. In this paper, we introduce a requirements specification framework, called Problem Decomposition Scheme (PDS), which serves as a foundation to address the challenges of pattern recognition in the context of software requirements. We establish that pattern recognition can be abstracted as a set-theoretic classification problem, and formalize the properties of the resulting classification scheme. In contrast to ill-defined sub-problems in conventional development problem contexts, patterns in PDS-based specifications can be objectively recognized. To evaluate our requirements specification framework, we conducted an empirical user study of software developers performing a requirements pattern recognition task on a PDS-based requirements specification. PDS-based specifications are shown to achieve a high degree of requirements pattern recognition consistency across developers.
AB - The motivation behind pattern-oriented software development is to decompose complex problems into recognizable sub-problems with predefined solutions, hence promoting both the quality of the resulting software product and the efficiency of the development process through the reuse of optimal solutions (e.g., best practices). Unfortunately, due to the opportunistic (i.e., non-systematic and subjective) element inherent in the process of recognizing conventional patterns in a problem context, the full potential of a pattern-driven problem-solving strategy has not been yet realized. In this paper, we introduce a requirements specification framework, called Problem Decomposition Scheme (PDS), which serves as a foundation to address the challenges of pattern recognition in the context of software requirements. We establish that pattern recognition can be abstracted as a set-theoretic classification problem, and formalize the properties of the resulting classification scheme. In contrast to ill-defined sub-problems in conventional development problem contexts, patterns in PDS-based specifications can be objectively recognized. To evaluate our requirements specification framework, we conducted an empirical user study of software developers performing a requirements pattern recognition task on a PDS-based requirements specification. PDS-based specifications are shown to achieve a high degree of requirements pattern recognition consistency across developers.
KW - Empirical user study
KW - Functional requirements classification
KW - Pattern recognition
KW - Pattern-oriented software development
KW - Problem decomposition scheme
KW - Requirements patterns
KW - Software requirements specification
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=79960548140&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=79960548140&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1109/ICECCS.2011.28
DO - 10.1109/ICECCS.2011.28
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:79960548140
SN - 9780769543819
T3 - Proceedings - 2011 16th IEEE International Conference on Engineering of Complex Computer Systems, ICECCS 2011
SP - 211
EP - 220
BT - Proceedings - 2011 16th IEEE International Conference on Engineering of Complex Computer Systems, ICECCS 2011
Y2 - 27 April 2011 through 29 April 2011
ER -