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