Wiley Telling Stories: A Short Path to Writing Better Software Requirements 978-0-470-43700-1 User Manual
Product codes
978-0-470-43700-1
Telling Stories
2
He then returns to what he requires of Noah:
But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come
into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons’ wives
with thee.
into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons’ wives
with thee.
And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou
bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be
male and female.
bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be
male and female.
Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every
creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall
come unto thee, to keep them alive.
creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall
come unto thee, to keep them alive.
And mindful of the details, God makes sure Noah brings food sufficient to
keep everyone fed through phase three:
And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt
gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them.
gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them.
God doesn’t just say, “Go and build an ark.” He goes into a lot of detail
about what he wants Noah to do. He also explains what is going to happen and
why each thing is required, and he associates what is required of Noah with
specific events in a logical order. We start with the general project goals, and
then we learn about the ark; he warns of the flood, specifies the passenger list
and boarding process, and finally, covers the food requirements.
why each thing is required, and he associates what is required of Noah with
specific events in a logical order. We start with the general project goals, and
then we learn about the ark; he warns of the flood, specifies the passenger list
and boarding process, and finally, covers the food requirements.
Because God crafts a compelling narrative, Noah clearly understands what
he is supposed to do and why, and the project is a success: “ … all that God
commanded him, so did he.” We, too, still remember the details of Noah’s
requirements because they are part of a great story.
commanded him, so did he.” We, too, still remember the details of Noah’s
requirements because they are part of a great story.
Of course God has a few advantages in the requirements process that the
rest of us do not. We have to work a bit harder and go into more detail, and
therein lies the main purpose of this book.
therein lies the main purpose of this book.
What Must We Do?
When you or I need someone to get something at the store, we write a shopping
list. When we need a colleague to create a report on quarterly sales, we send
an e‑mail explaining the exact time period and figures we want. The shopping
list and e‑mail are simple requirements documents. You create a requirements
document to explain what you need to someone capable of meeting the need.
list. When we need a colleague to create a report on quarterly sales, we send
an e‑mail explaining the exact time period and figures we want. The shopping
list and e‑mail are simple requirements documents. You create a requirements
document to explain what you need to someone capable of meeting the need.
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