Software Engineering I
Sept 13, 2013

Domain Analysis

  Domain Analysis is learning background knowledge about the problem so
  you can communicate with users/clients and make more intelligent
  decisions.

  Understand the customer's problem and set the scope for the project.

  What are the requirements?

  How can you gather them?  Review them?

  Model tasks

  Domain = field of business/science/technology of the customer

Why is domain analysis important?  
   This is the same as asking why is communication important.

   Faster development
   Better system
   Anticipate future development
   Get a better idea of the timeframe needed for the project.

Domain analysis needs to be divided into parts
  Introduction - what are we working on?  why are we doing it?
  Glossary - special terms
  General Domain Knowledge
    - diagrams
    - special principles, formulas, business practices, etc.
    - understand data
  Customers/Users
    - descriptions of users, background, others in domain
  Environment - systems/equipment used
  Tasks and Procedures currently in place
  Competing software
    - Describe what is available
    - Pros/Cons
  Similarities across domains

Example - Develop software a veterinary Electrocardiogram (ECG) tool

   Real-time system
   Need to understand wave forms and display them
   Need to provide a graphical interface
   Provide pulse monitoring and display it

Possible development starting points
  New development with requirements to be determined (Greenfield)
  New development where clients have requirements (Greenfield)
  System evolution with requirements TBD
  System evolution with client supplied requirements

  Latter is more common.

Define the Scope and the Problem
  Problem - what difficulty are the users having?
    This is your opportunity.
  Need a succinct problem statement
  Make sure your solution solves the problem
  May need to break the problem into parts if it is too large

  Scope is what you are looking to solve
  
Example - University Degree Requirements and Registration
  Registrar function
    browse courses
    register
    room allocations
    final exam scheduling
  Bursar function
    Fee payment

  The following may be tied to both the bursar and registrar
    Grade input
    Transcripts
    Grade viewing 
  Why? How do you know?

  Identify what to implement and what not.
    Don't need to implement fee payment module
    Need to implement a module to record letter grades

Reviewed OCSF (Object Client-Server Framework)

Review of assignment with Veterinary Client Management System