Validating system and software requirements: extending the Davis-Jordan requirements metamodel to the 'user's view'

The Davis-Jordan requirements metamodel (DJRM) is a model and accompanying notation which allows system and software requirements to be represented independent of the method employed to capture those requirements (A.M. Davis and K.A. Jordan, 1990). They describe a concept of requirements as a sphere (of requirements) surrounded by a Lucite box. The idea is that requirements may be viewed from a variety of perspectives (e.g. data flow diagram (DFD), object-oriented analysis (OOA), finite state machine (FSM), Statechart, etc.) represented as sides of the transparent box,but that these perspectives have common characteristics which may be represented in a metamodel. While DJRM may be an excellent vehicle for allowing requirements engineers to view requirements from a variety of perspectives, model neglects two important players in the requirements process: the user and the customer. It is proposed that a mapping is possible from the DJRM into an existing rapid prototyping tool and a pictorial system simulation tool which, when augmented by a user interface design concept layer, is capable of specifying the external behavior of an interactive system from the user's view. The level of completeness of this specification is directly dependent upon the completeness of the DJRM representation.<
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