JPH10269070A - Method for comparing and correcting request specification constituting elements - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To compare the constituting elements of request specifications with each other, and to simultaneously reflect the same correction in the constituting elements in a request specification preparation system. SOLUTION: Scene management information 108 for simultaneously managing scene information in scenario information and a scene browser 107 for editing it are provided. When an operator integrates the different scene information in the scene browser 107, the information is set to scene management information 108, and when one of the scene information is edited thereafter, the scene management information 108 automatically reflects an edited result also in the integrated different scene management information. Also, when the operator compares the scene information with each other in the scene browser 107, the respective scene information is retrieved and a compared result is displayed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to the acquisition of a requirement specification in the development of an application to be developed using a computer, and more particularly, to a method of visualizing, defining, and improving the efficiency of the requirement specification, and a visual display. On how to do it. Here, “acquisition” refers to interactively making various modifications and changes to the visualized requirement specification, and finally determining the completed requirement specification.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Software development is essential for the development of electronic devices such as computers. In particular, at the stage of studying new models and new methods, it is important to input sketches of various device configurations as models, perform simulations, evaluate the results, and repeatedly examine the design policy. . In addition, it is important to communicate the design policy to relevant persons accurately and easily.

[0003] Similarly, in the development of software application systems, it is important to interactively create required specifications at the design stage of required specifications and the like, and present them to customers and the like in a form that is easy to understand visually. Is coming.

[0004] On the other hand, in the creation of a required specification in system development, a request is heard between a customer and a system engineer, and a person who obtains the required specification from the customer and determines the system specifications. Creates the required specifications, has the customer evaluate it, and repeats this process until there is no change and there is a final specification that meets the customer's requirements. The system developer implements the system based on the requirements specification determined by the customer and the system engineer. If there is a difference between the realized system and the customer's request, the requirement specification is re-created and the system is re-implemented. Such software products for acquiring required specifications include components and internal procedures between components as scenarios when system engineers acquire required specifications from customers. As an example, a required specification is obtained by a programless interactive operation. The scenario referred to here is a description method related to the description of the required specification, and is a method of directly describing the external operation of the system from the viewpoint of the user. For example, Pei Hsia et.al., "Formal Approach to
Scenario Analysis ", IEEE Software, March 1994, p3
3-41 (1994) shows a procedure for inputting and confirming an operation name of an end user and a scenario for calling a system function using a tree, and prototyping based on an input scenario group, taking a telephone exchange system as an example.

In the requirement specification creation system, customer requirement specifications are input as scenarios. The required specifications are acquired by defining the components of the scenario and inputting real-world tasks as fragmentary concrete examples of scenarios called scenes using data and procedures to be given to the components.

[0006]

The requirement specification creating system as described above visually represents the requirement specification. In addition,
The whole requirement specification defined in this system is called a story. Such a requirement specification creation system has a character definition editor and a scenario editor as a part of a story component. A character is a "person" or a specific "object" or another conceptual "abstract object" appearing in the required specifications. A character has its name, display graphic information expressing its image, retained internal data information and internal procedure information. The internal data information held by the character is called an attribute, and the internal procedure information held by the character is called a message. The specific value of the attribute is called the initial value of the attribute. The character definition editor defines the characters that appear in the required specifications to be created,
Has a function to display. A scenario is a fragmentary example of a required specification. The components of the scenario include characters and scenes. A scene is the activation of an internal procedure between characters. The scenario editor
It has a function to define and display the internal procedures (scenes) of some or all of the characters defined by the character definition editor. The components of the scene include a start condition, a branch scenario, a message process, and a participating character. The start condition refers to a condition for starting the scene, and the branch scenario is information of a scenario that branches depending on the start condition. The message processing is information on a change in an attribute value in the scene or information on another scenario that details the scene. Involved characters are information of characters that have some relationship in the scene.

[0007] When a plurality of scenes having the same constituent element are expressed on a scenario in the requirement specification creation system, it is necessary to check all the constituent elements of each scene in order to confirm that the scenes are the same. Also, when modifying a component of a scene that is determined to be the same,
Each scene component had to be changed individually. For this reason, there is a high probability that an input error or the like occurs, and it is necessary to confirm the change even after correction, resulting in a problem of poor efficiency.

An object of the present invention is to make it possible to modify the components of all scenes simultaneously with a single modification when a scene having the same components is changed.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for comparing components of different scenes.

[0010]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention manages the components of each scene using a scene browser. The scene browser includes an environment for displaying all scene components in a story, an environment for setting and defining scene components, and an environment for comparing and displaying the contents of two scenes. It is assumed that a scene (scene A) is defined as a component of a scenario having a story (story A) defined in the requirement specification creation system. When there is a scene (scene B) different from scene A, and this is defined as a scene having the same components, scene A and scene B are defined as the same from the scene browser.
At this time, the components of scene A and scene B are compared and rewritten in the program so that they have the same information.
And the internal information indicating that scene B is common in the data of story A. If there is another identical scene, a new scene is similarly defined from the scene browser as the same scene. When changing the components of the scene defined in this way, the internal information of the story A is searched, and the components of the scene set to be common (in this case, scene B) are similar to the scene A. change. As a result, the scene once set as common is 1
All scenes can be changed at the same time and exactly at the same time.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1, FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 show schematic configuration diagrams of a requirement specification definition system used in the present embodiment. 1, 101 is a terminal, 102 is a CPU, 1
03 is a memory. FIG. 2 shows details of the activation condition definition information 123 shown in FIG. Similarly, FIG.
Is detailed message processing definition information 125.

The memory 103 contains a scenario editor 10
4. Character definition editor 106, scene browser 107, scene management information 108, character definition information 111, and scenario definition information 117 are installed. Note that the scene browser 107 and the scene management information 108
This is a newly added one in the present embodiment, which has not been conventionally provided. By these operations, character definition information 111 input by the operator, scenario information 118 as definition information of each scenario, and scene management information 108 for managing the integrated scene are generated. The scene management information 108 includes unified scene information 109,
The unified scene information 109 includes unified scene element information 110. The character definition information 111 includes character information 112 that is definition information of each character. Character information 112 includes character name 11
3, character display graphic information 114, attribute name 11
5, the message name 116 is included. The scenario information 118 includes scenario name information 119, appearance character information 120, and scene information 12 that is definition information of each scene.
3 is held. Appearance character information 120 includes scenario character information 121 and attribute initial value information 12
Contains 2. The scene information 123 includes transmission source character information 124, reception source character information 235, transmission message information 126, start condition definition information 127, branch scenario definition information 128, and message processing definition information 12.
9, including the involved character definition information 130. The start condition definition information 127 includes the attribute variable comparison definition information 20
2, attribute constant comparison definition information 208, activation condition specific image definition information 213, and activation condition comment definition information 214. The message processing definition information 129 includes attribute variable substitution definition information 302, attribute constant substitution definition information 207,
It includes message processing concrete image definition information 311, message processing comment definition information 312, and sub-scenario definition information 313. The attribute variable comparison definition information 202 includes
Variable comparison source character information 203, variable comparison source attribute name information 204, variable comparison destination character information 205, variable comparison destination attribute name information 206, variable comparison condition information 207
Contains. The attribute constant comparison definition information 208 includes constant comparison source character information 209, constant comparison source attribute name information 210, comparison constant information 211, and constant comparison condition information 212.
Contains. The attribute variable substitution definition information 302 includes variable substitution source character information 303, variable substitution source attribute name information 304, variable substitution destination character information 305, and variable substitution destination attribute name information 306. The attribute variable substitution definition information 307 includes variable substitution destination character information 308, variable substitution destination attribute name information 309, and substitution constant information 310.

Next, a method of comparing and correcting components in the requirement specification creating system will be described with reference to a flowchart shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example in which the same specification can be obtained by one modification by comparing two unified components of the requirement specification defined separately from the requirement specifications created by the requirement creation system by the operator. It shows a case where the modification is reflected on each component.

First, character information is defined on the character definition editor in accordance with an operator's input (step 401). FIG. 5 is a detailed flowchart of the character information defining process. The definition of character information in step 401 is character name 1
13, the step of defining the character display graphic information 114 (step 501), the step of defining the attribute name 115 (step 502), and the message name 1
16 (step 503).

Next, scenario information is defined on the scenario editor according to the operator's input (step 4).
02). FIG. 6 is a detailed flowchart of the scenario information definition process. The definition of scenario information in step 402 includes a step of defining scenario name information (step 601), a step of defining appearance character information 120 (step 602), and scene information 123.
(Step 603). The scene information 123 does not need to define all components. Note that the information definition method up to this point is not directly related to the present invention, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Next, scene information is compared on the scene browser (step 403). Then, after unifying the scenes on the scene browser 107 (step 404),
The unified scene is edited on the scene browser 107 (step 405). Hereinafter, the processing of steps 403 to 405 will be described in detail.

FIG. 7 is a detailed flowchart of the scene comparison process in step 403. First, after the operator selects the first scene from the scene browser 107 (step 703), and then selects the second scene (step 704), the operator selects the "scene comparison" command from the command menu of the scene browser 107. Is selected (step 705), the transmission source character information 124, the transmission message information 125, and the reception source character information 126 of the first scene information and the second scene information are compared (step 706). If the information does not match, an error message is output (step 707),
The state returns to the state before the command menu of the scene browser 107 was selected. If the information matches, the first scene information is compared with the activation condition definition information 127 of the second scene information (step 707), the branch scenario definition information 128 is compared (step 709), and the message processing definition information 129 is provided.
Are compared (step 710), and the involved character definition information 130 is compared (step 711), and the comparison result is displayed (step 712). By this operation, the difference between the configuration contents of the scene information individually defined by the operator can be automatically detected.

FIG. 8 is a detailed flowchart of the scene unification processing on the scene browser 107 in step 404. Here, first, the operator selects the first scene on the scene browser 107 (step 80).
1). Next, a second scene is selected (step 80).
2). When the operator selects an "integrate the same scene" command from the command menu of the scene browser 107 (step 803), the scene information is integrated (step 804), and the resulting scene information is stored in the scene browser 1.
07 is displayed again.

FIG. 9 is a more detailed flowchart of the scene information integration process performed in step 804.
Here, first, the activation condition definition information 127 of the second scene information is replaced with the activation condition definition information 12 of the first scene information.
7 (step 901). Next, the branch scenario definition information 128 of the second scene information is added to the branch scenario definition information 128 of the first scene information (Step 902). Next, the message processing definition information 129 of the second scene information is added to the message processing definition information 129 of the first scene information (step 903). Then, involved character definition information 1 of the second scene information
30 is added to the participating character definition information 130 of the first scene information (step 904). Thereafter, the scene information of the first scene is copied to the scene information of the second scene (step 905), and a pointer to each of the scene information 123 is set as the unified scene element information 110 in the unified scene information 109 to perform scene management. The information is set (step 906).

FIG. 10 is a detailed flowchart of the process of adding the activation condition definition information performed in step 901. In the process of adding the start condition definition information, first, the attribute variable comparison definition information 202 of the second scene information is added to the attribute variable comparison definition information 202 of the first scene information (step 1001). Next, the attribute constant comparison definition information 208 of the second scene information is added to the attribute constant comparison definition information 208 of the first scene information (step 1002).
Then, the activation condition specific image definition information 213 of the second scene information is added to the activation condition specific image definition information 213 of the first scene information (step 1003).
Finally, the activation condition comment definition information 214 of the second scene information is added to the activation condition comment definition information 214 of the first scene information (step 1004).

FIG. 11 is a detailed flowchart of the process of adding the attribute variable comparison definition information 202 performed in step 1001. In the process of adding the attribute variable comparison definition information 202, first, the attribute variable comparison definition information 20 of the second scene
It is determined whether or not 2 exists in the attribute variable comparison definition information 202 of the first scene (step 1101). If it does, do nothing. If the character does not exist, the character set in the variable comparison source character information of the attribute variable comparison definition information 202 of the second scene information is set as scenario character information of a character appearing in the scenario information including the first scene information. Is determined (step 1102). Does nothing if set. If not set, the appearing character information of the second scene information is copied and added to the appearing character information of the first scene information (step 110).
3). Similarly, the character set in the variable comparison destination character information of the attribute variable comparison definition information 202 of the second scene information is set as the scenario character information of the appearing character of the scenario information including the first scene information. Is determined (step 110).
4). Does nothing if set. If not set, the appearing character information of the second scene information is copied and added to the appearing character information of the first scene information (step 1105). Next, the attribute variable comparison definition information of the second scene information is added to the attribute variable comparison definition information of the first scene information (step 110).
6).

FIG. 12 is a detailed flowchart of the process of adding the attribute constant comparison definition information 208 performed in step 1002. In the process of adding the attribute constant comparison definition information 208, first, the attribute constant comparison definition information 20 of the second scene
8 is present in the attribute constant comparison definition information 208 of the first scene (step 1201). If it does, do nothing. If the character does not exist, the character set in the constant comparison source character information of the attribute constant comparison definition information 208 of the second scene information is set as scenario character information of a character appearing in the scenario information including the first scene information. (Step 1202). Does nothing if set. If not set, the appearing character information of the second scene information is copied and added to the appearing character information of the first scene information (step 120).
3). Next, the attribute constant comparison definition information of the second scene information is added to the attribute constant comparison definition information of the first scene information (step 1204).

FIG. 13 is a detailed flowchart of the process of adding the activation condition specific image definition information 213 performed in step 1003. In the process of adding the activation condition specific image definition information 213, first, it is determined whether or not the attribute activation condition specific image definition information 213 of the second scene exists in the attribute activation condition specific image definition information 213 of the first scene ( Step 1301). If it does, do nothing. If not, the attribute activation condition specific image definition information of the second scene information is added to the attribute activation condition specific image definition information of the first scene information (step 13).
02).

FIG. 14 is a detailed flowchart of the process of adding the activation condition comment definition information 214 performed in step 1004. In the process of adding the start condition comment definition information 214, first, it is determined whether the attribute start condition comment definition information 214 of the second scene exists in the attribute start condition comment definition information 214 of the first scene (step 1401). . If it does, do nothing. If not, the attribute start condition comment definition information of the second scene information is added to the attribute start condition comment definition information of the first scene information (step 1402).

FIG. 15 shows the scene information integration process.
It is a detailed flowchart of a merge process (step 902) of the branch scenario definition information 128 performed subsequent to the above-described process of adding the start condition definition information. In the merge process of the branch scenario definition information 128, first, it is determined whether the branch scenario comment definition information 128 of the second scene exists in the branch scenario comment definition information 128 of the first scene (step 1501). If it does, do nothing. If not, the branch scenario comment definition information of the second scene information is added to the branch scenario comment definition information of the first scene information (step 150).
2).

FIG. 16 is a detailed flowchart of the message processing definition information addition processing (step 903) performed following the merge processing of the branch scenario definition information 128. In the process for adding message processing definition information,
The attribute variable substitution definition information 302 of the second scene information is set to 1
The second scene information is added to the attribute variable substitution definition information 302 (step 1601). Next, the attribute constant substitution definition information 307 of the second scene information is added to the attribute constant substitution definition information 307 of the first scene information (step 16).
02). Subsequently, the message processing specific image definition information 311 of the second scene information is added to the message processing specific image definition information 311 of the first scene information (step 1603). Then, the message processing comment definition information 312 of the second scene information is added to the message processing comment definition information 312 of the first scene information (step 1604). Finally, the sub-scenario definition information 313 of the second scene information is added to the sub-scenario definition information 313 of the first scene information (step 1).
605).

FIG. 17 is a detailed flowchart of the process of adding attribute variable substitution definition information performed in step 1601. In the process of adding attribute variable substitution definition information, first,
It is determined whether the attribute variable substitution definition information 302 of the second scene exists in the attribute variable substitution definition information 302 of the first scene (step 1701). If it does, do nothing. If the character does not exist, the character set in the variable substitution source character information of the attribute variable substitution definition information 302 of the second scene information is set as the scenario character information of the character appearing in the scenario information including the first scene information. (Step 1)
702). Does nothing if set. If not set, the appearing character information of the second scene information is copied and added to the appearing character information of the first scene information (step 1703). Similarly, the character set in the variable substitution destination character information of the attribute variable substitution definition information 302 of the second scene information is set as the scenario character information of the appearing character of the scenario information including the first scene information. (Step 1704). Does nothing if set. If not set, the appearing character information of the second scene information is copied and added to the appearing character information of the first scene information (step 1705). Next, the attribute variable substitution definition information of the second scene information is added to the attribute variable substitution definition information of the first scene information (Step 1706).

FIG. 18 is a detailed flowchart of the process of adding the attribute constant substitution definition information 307 performed in step 1602. In the process of adding the attribute constant substitution definition information 307, first, the attribute constant substitution definition information 30
7 is present in the attribute constant substitution definition information 307 of the first scene (step 1801). If it does, do nothing. If not, the character set in the constant substitution source character information of the attribute constant substitution definition information 307 of the second scene information is set as the scenario character information of the character appearing in the scenario information including the first scene information. (Step 1802). Does nothing if set. If not set, the appearing character information of the second scene information is copied and added to the appearing character information of the first scene information (step 180).
3). Next, the attribute constant substitution definition information of the second scene information is added to the attribute constant substitution definition information of the first scene information (step 1804).

Steps 1603 and 1604
About step 1003 shown in FIG.
And the same processing as step 1004 shown in FIG. 14 is performed.

FIG. 19 is a detailed flowchart of the process of adding the sub-scenario definition information 313 performed in step 1605. In the process of adding the sub-scenario definition information 313, first, the sub-scenario definition information 31 of the second scene
3 is determined in the sub-scenario definition information 313 of the first scene (step 1901). If it does, do nothing. If not, the sub-scenario definition information of the second scene information is added to the sub-scenario definition information of the first scene information (step 1902).

FIG. 20 is a detailed flowchart of the process (step 904) of adding the participating character definition information 130 performed in the scene information integration process. In the process of adding the involved character definition information 130, first, the second
It is determined whether the participating character definition information 130 of the first scene exists in the participating character definition information 130 of the first scene (step 2001). If it does, do nothing. If not, the character set in the participating character information of the second scene information is the first character.
Is determined as the scenario character information of the appearing character of the scenario information including the scene information (step 2002). Does nothing if set. If not set, the appearance character information of the second scene information is copied and added to the appearance character information of the first scene information (step 2).
003). Next, the involved character definition information of the second scene information is added to the involved character definition information of the first scene information (step 2004).

FIG. 21 shows a process of editing a unified scene on the scene browser 107 performed at the end of the process of comparing and editing the components of the required specifications in this embodiment (step 40).
It is a detailed flowchart of 5). In the unified scene editing process, the operator selects scene information to be integrated and edited from the scene browser 107 (step 2101). Subsequently, the "detailed information command" is selected (step 2102), and the scene information 123 is defined by the operator (step 2103). Then, the changed scene information 123 is the unified scene information 1
09 is reflected with reference to all the integrated scene information 123 from the unified scene element information 110 (step 21).
02).

According to the embodiment described above, the differences between the components defined on the requirement specification creating system are visually displayed, and the components of different scenes can be easily compared. In addition, by integrating components, not only is it possible to make consistent corrections, but when changing a scene that has the same components, all components of all scenes can be corrected simultaneously with a single correction it can. This makes it possible to greatly reduce the efficiency and reliability of obtaining the required specifications.

[0035]

According to the present invention, the differences between the components defined on the requirements specification creating system are visually displayed,
A comparison of the components of different scenes can be made. In addition, by integrating the components, it is possible to perform consistent correction, and it is possible to greatly reduce the efficiency and reliability of obtaining the required specifications.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a system showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram in which activation condition definition information shown in FIG. 1 is detailed.

FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram in which the message processing definition information shown in FIG. 1 is detailed.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for comparing and editing components of a required specification.

FIG. 5 is a detailed flowchart showing a procedure for creating character information in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a detailed flowchart showing a procedure for creating scenario information in FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a detailed flowchart showing a procedure for comparing scene information in FIG. 4;

FIG. 8 is a detailed flowchart showing a procedure for unifying scene information in FIG. 4;

FIG. 9 is a detailed flowchart showing a procedure of integrating scene information in FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a detailed flowchart showing a procedure for adding activation condition information in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a detailed flowchart showing a procedure for adding attribute variable comparison definition information in FIG.

FIG. 12 is a detailed flowchart showing a procedure for adding attribute constant comparison definition information in FIG.

13 is a detailed flowchart showing the procedure of the activation condition specific image definition information addition processing in FIG. 10 and the message processing specific image definition information addition processing in FIG.

14 is a detailed flowchart showing the procedure of the activation condition comment definition information addition processing in FIG. 10 and the message processing comment definition information addition processing in FIG.

FIG. 15 is a detailed flowchart showing a procedure for adding branch scenario definition information in FIG. 9;

FIG. 16 is a detailed flowchart showing a procedure for adding message processing definition information in FIG. 9;

FIG. 17 is a detailed flowchart showing a procedure for adding attribute variable substitution definition information in FIG.

FIG. 18 is a detailed flowchart showing a procedure for adding attribute constant substitution definition information in FIG.

FIG. 19 is a detailed flowchart showing a procedure for adding sub-scenario definition information in FIG.

20 is a detailed flowchart showing a procedure for adding related character definition information in FIG. 9;

FIG. 21 is a detailed flowchart showing a procedure for editing a unified scene in FIG. 4;

[Brief description of reference numerals]

 104: Scenario editor 106: Character definition editor 107: Scene browser 109: Unified scene information 110: Unified scene element information 112: Character information 118: Scenario information 123: Scene information

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A step of arranging elements constituting a development target on a screen of a computer terminal; a step of designating a name for each arranged element, a data name and a procedure name held by the element; For each of the above procedures, a list of procedures held by the component is displayed as a menu for the procedure startup sequence between the components that include the procedure or the procedure startup sequence for the procedures in the component, and the operation of selecting from the general menu is repeated. Specifying the activation sequence of the procedure held by the component by the above-described procedure; and the component information that records the specified component name, data name, and procedure name, and the procedure activation sequence information that records the procedure activation sequence. Generating scenario information holding a name and a unique number for the element information and the activation chain information; Comparison and correction method of the components of a requirements specification that.