JP2000250744A - Software request definition supporting device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve the quality of an entire request definition, and to reduce man-hour for an entire system construction by preparing a job/data relation drawing on the basis of the acquired relation information of functions and data. SOLUTION: A program for providing functions 103-107 is installed in a processor 102. In the request definition, a worker prepares a function system definition statement and a data model definition statement while using a function system definition supporting function 103 and a data model preparation supporting function 105. One of functions displayed on the function system definition statement is selected by a mouse or the like and a detailed specification definition statement on that function is prepared. A detailed specification definition supporting function 104 displays the format of the detailed specification definition statement on the selected function on a monitor. When the detailed specification definition statements of all the functions are completely prepared, the worker instructs the operation of an automatic function/data relation drawing preparing function 107.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION As one of the tasks of constructing a business application system used in a corporate information system, it is necessary to define software requirements. The software requirements definition analyzes the requirements for the system,
Define the requirements that business applications must have.

Generally, in the case of a business application, a software requirement definition includes a functional system definition, a detailed specification definition, and a data model. In addition, create a function / data association diagram that checks the data model for validation.

The function system definition defines a function unit that divides the entire target system.

[0004] The detailed specification definition defines a detailed specification for each function defined in the function system. The details of the detailed specification definition include, for example, processes (input and output of data processing and processing details), information requests (screen / form data and its contents, which are user interfaces used by users of business applications), and the like. Information defined in various expressions depending on the characteristics of the function is included.

[0005] The data model defines data of the entire target system. Generally, a data model is represented by an entity whose data is to be managed in the system, a data item, and an entity. An entity is a grouping of several data items into units of concepts of interest in the business.

In general, business applications have many types of data to be handled, and the functions required of the system are mainly data processing. Therefore, it is important to create a data model by defining requirements. .

Finally, the function / data relation diagram is obtained by plotting the relationship between the function and the data at the intersection of the function and the data on the axes of the matrix. This represents the data accessed by each function. Further, the type of data access is represented by a symbol to be plotted. The types of access include data generation, update, reference, and deletion. The function / data association diagram allows the integrity of the data model to be checked. For example, if a function that does not access any data is read from the function / data relation diagram,
It can be considered that there is data leakage in the data model.

[0008]

2. Description of the Related Art A CASE tool (computer-assisted software construction support tool) is used to support software requirement definition. The CASE tool is a device that allows an operator to use a GUI (Graphical User Interface) to support creation of various diagrams and specifications in various formats required for system construction, and to generate various codes. By using the GUI, it is possible to use a user-friendly interface visually and to proceed with the creation of a document interactively, thereby improving the efficiency of system construction work. Here, the CASE tool that supports the requirement definition is particularly called an upstream CASE tool.

FIG. 2 shows a functional configuration of an upstream CASE tool according to the prior art. The configuration 201 is a functional function system definition support function, the configuration 202 is a detailed specification definition support function, and the configuration 203.
Is a data model creation support function, and the configuration 204 is a function /
This is a data-related diagram creation support function.

FIG. 4 shows a general format of a document supporting creation by each function.

The function / function system definition support function of the structure 201 supports creation of a function / function system definition document of the structure 401. The overall functions of the system and the sub-functions that make up the overall functions are represented in a hierarchical diagram. A rectangular box is a function, and the name described therein describes the name of the function.

The detailed specification definition support function of the configuration 202 supports creation of a detailed specification definition document of the configuration 402. Configuration 40
A detailed specification is described for each function described in the Function Function System Definition Document.

The data model creation support function of the configuration 203 supports the creation of a data model definition document in the configuration 403. In the data model definition document, the entity is described above the rectangular box, and the name described in the box describes the name of the data item.

Finally, the function / data relation diagram creation support function of the structure 204 is provided. The structure 404 supports creation of a function / data relation diagram. In the function / data relation diagram creation support function according to the prior art, first, a matrix in which names of functions and data (entities or data items) are written on a vertical axis and a horizontal axis from a function system definition and definition information of a data model is displayed on a GUI. indicate. Next, the operator plots the relationship between the function and the data at the intersection of the displayed matrix based on the knowledge about the specification.

As another method for supporting the creation of a function / data relation diagram, there is also known a method in which information relating to functions and data is described in a list format, and a function / data relation diagram is created based on the information. .

[0016]

In the prior art, a matrix in which the names of functions and data are written on the vertical and horizontal axes is displayed on the GUI by the function / data relation diagram creation support function of the configuration 205 shown in FIG. . The operator must plot the relationship between the task and the data at the intersection of the displayed matrix at the intersection of the matrix.

Generally, business applications have a large number of functions and data, and the correspondence is complicated. As a typical case, in a gas company's construction ordering system,
There are reports that the function (large): 18, the function (small): 229, the entity: 203, the data item: 14,10, and the relationship between the function and the data item: 11,385. (Information Society of Japan 56th National Convention "Case Analysis and Consideration of Requirement Definition Process Utilizing Repository") In such a case, the work of expressing the relationship between functions and data in a matrix is a very laborious work. In particular, when the unit of the data item is used as an axis, it is a very troublesome operation, and a considerable number of work steps are required.

[0018]

Means for Solving the Problems In the detailed specification definition, various expressions are described according to the characteristics of the function concerned. For example, when expressing a process, input data and output data of data processing, processing contents, and the like are described. When indicating an information request, it indicates screen / form data or its contents, which is a user interface used by a business application user. As described above, the expression format of the detailed specification is various, but the order and branch of the processing, calculation and editing of data,
Alternatively, data check conditions and the like are described.
In this document, it is assumed that the description of these detailed specifications is represented by clauses of an appropriate length, and such clauses are called business rules.

Generally, in business applications, business rules relating to entities and data items are important, and occupy a considerable proportion of specifications. The description of the business rule includes the names of the entities and data items defined in the data model. Further, since the detailed specifications are described for each function, the business rule is always included in some function.

Focusing on the above, in the present invention, the function / data relation diagram automatic generation function of the configuration 107 shown in FIG. 1 obtains the function / data relation information from the detailed specification and the data model definition information. A business / data relation diagram is created based on this related information. As a result, in the related art, the operation in which the operator plots the relationship between the operation and the data at the intersection of the matrix can be automated.

[0021]

FIG. 1 shows the basic configuration of the present invention.
FIG. 3 shows a flowchart of the embodiment of the present invention.

An embodiment will be described below according to the basic configuration and flowchart of the present invention. Here, an example will be described in which a relation between a function and an entity is obtained in a function / data relation diagram.

In the basic configuration shown in FIG.
User interface device. The user interface device includes a monitor, a keyboard, a mouse, and a printer. The user interface device has a configuration 10
2 processing devices. The processing device includes a central processing unit, a memory, a hard disk, and the like. The user interface device and the processing device are assumed to be devices having specifications equivalent to general personal computers.

In the processing apparatus having the structure 102, a program for realizing the functions of the structures 103 to 107 is installed and set up in an operable state.

First, in the requirement definition, the worker creates a functional system definition document and a data model definition document by using the function system definition support function of the configuration 103 and the data model creation support function of the configuration 104. The function system definition support function and the data model creation support function are configured as shown in FIG.
01 and the format of the data model definition document of the configuration 402 are displayed. The operator displays boxes in the function system definition document according to the number of function divisions, and inputs the names of the functions therein. In the data model definition document, boxes are displayed according to the number of required entities, and the names of the entities and data items are input outside and inside the boxes, respectively. When the input by the worker is completed, the function system definition support function and the data model creation support function record the definition information of the function system definition document and the data model definition document.

Further, the operator selects one of the functions displayed in the functional system definition document with a mouse or the like, and creates a detailed specification definition document for the function. The detailed specification definition support function of the configuration 104 displays the detailed specification definition format for the selected function on the monitor. The format of the detailed specification definition document is as shown in the configuration 403 of FIG. The operator inputs the business rules in the format of the detailed specification definition document. At this time, the worker refers to the data model displayed on the monitor in order to use the names of related entities and data items in the description of the business rule.

FIG. 5 shows an example of creating a detailed specification definition document used in the following description. In this embodiment, the business rule is
It shall be entered in accordance with the following description rules. The name of the entity and the data item are connected by "no" and entered, and "E" indicating the entity is added after the name of the entity. At this stage, the four business rules (1) to (4) are described (step 3 above).
01-303).

When the creation of the detailed specification definition for all functions is completed as described above, the operator instructs the operation of the function / data relation diagram automatic generation function of the configuration 107. Hereinafter, the operation of the function / data relation diagram automatic generation function will be described.

First, the function / data relation diagram automatic generation function selects one function from the recorded definition information of the business system definition (step 304).

Next, one entity is selected from the recorded data model definition information (step 3).
05).

Next, the function / data relation diagram automatic generation function searches for the name of the selected entity in the business rules for the definition information of the detailed specification definition included in the selected business (step 306).

If the name of the entity matches, the correspondence between the function and the entity is recorded as related information of the function / data (step 3).
10).

As described above, steps 305 to 310
Is repeated for all entities.
When a series of processing is completed for all entities, steps 305 to 308, step 31
The series of processing of 0 is ended (step 308).

Here, if the above series of processing has not been completed for all recorded functions, the series of processing from step 304 to step 308 and step 310 is repeated (step 309).

If the above series of processing is completed for all the recorded functions, the names of the functions and the entities are respectively set on the vertical axis based on the definition information of the business function system and the data model. And the matrix written on the horizontal axis is displayed on the monitor. Further, based on the correspondence information between the function and the entity accumulated in step 305, the relationship between the data and the function is plotted at the intersection of the matrix of the function and the entity (step 311).

FIG. 6 shows a display example of the business / data relation diagram displayed here.

The operator checks with reference to the business / data relation diagram displayed on the monitor. Here, the worker compares the knowledge on the specification with the business / data relation diagram, and
It is determined that the relation that refers to the entity of the section in the business of the order is omitted in the data relation diagram. In this case, the worker activates the detailed specification definition support function and adds or corrects the detailed specification definition document for the business of the order (step 30).
3). FIG. 7 shows the contents of the detailed specification definition document of the order receiving business at this stage.

When the operator finishes adding / modifying the detailed specification definition document, the operator activates the business / data relation diagram automatic generation function again. The business / data relation diagram automatic generation function generates a business / data relation diagram from the definition information of the functional system definition document, the data model definition document, and the detailed specification definition document including FIG. 304 to step 30
9, 310).

FIG. 8 shows a display example of the business / data relation diagram displayed here.

The worker checks the contents with reference to the business / data relation diagram shown in FIG. 8 displayed on the monitor. Here, the worker determines that there is no omission in the relation between the work and the data, and completes the request definition.

If the entity is replaced with a data item, the relationship between the function and the data item can be obtained in the function / data relation diagram.

[0042]

According to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained as compared with the case where the prior art is used.

First, it is possible to not only complete the data model but also to omit business rules to be described in the detailed specifications. This improves the overall quality of the requirement definition.

In order to automatically generate a function / data relation diagram,
There is no need to create a function / data relation diagram, and the man-hours for requirement definition can be reduced.

Further, since the quality of the requirement definition is improved,
There is no need to return from the post-process of the system construction, and the man-hour of the entire system construction is reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing software construction with computer assistance according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing conventional computer-assisted software construction.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the processing order of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing creation of a detailed specification definition document of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a front view of the detailed specification definition document of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a business / data related diagram of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing functions of a detailed specification definition document of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the operation of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

101 user interface device (monitor, keyboard, mouse, printer, etc.), 102 processing unit (central processing unit, memory, hard disk, etc.), 103
... Functional system definition support function, 104 ... Detailed specification definition support function, 105 ... Data model creation support function, 106 ... Function / data relation diagram creation support function, 107 ... Function / data relation diagram automatic generation function, 201 ... User interface device (Monitor, keyboard, mouse, printer, etc.), 2
02: Processing device (central processing unit, memory, hard disk, etc.) 203: Functional system definition support function, 204:
Detailed specification definition support function, 205: Data model creation support function, 206: Function / data related diagram creation support function, 40
1: Functional system definition document, 402: Detailed specification definition document, 403
… Data model definition document, 403… Function / data related diagram,
501: Detailed specification definition document, 601: Initial function / data-related result, 701: Result of adding / modifying the detailed specification definition document, 801: Result of automatically generating the final function / data-related diagram.

Claims (2)

[Claims] An apparatus for supporting the creation of various documents required for defining software requirements by a GUI (Graphical User Interface) or the like, a function system definition support function for supporting the definition of a function system of a target system. In addition to the detailed specification definition support function that supports the definition of detailed specifications, and the data model creation support function that supports the creation of a data model that defines the data for the entire target system, the function is based on the detailed specification and data model definition information. A software request characterized by acquiring related information of data and data, and automatically generating a function / data related diagram in which the relation between the function and the data is visually easily represented by an expression such as a matrix based on the related information. Definition support device. 2. The operator refers to the function / data relation diagram provided by the above-mentioned apparatus, checks the description of the relation between the function and the data, and if any omission or error is found, details of the function. Add or modify the specifications and re-use the functions / functions from the changed detailed specifications and data model definition information.
A software requirement definition support device that supports repeating a series of cycles for automatically generating a data relation diagram.