Functional Requirements – How to Specify a Functional Requirement

Requirements

I have this requirement:

The application must allow the Administrator to edit, create and delete Users.

Now, I have heard that each action must go in a functional requirement, and my question is: What of the following statements would be the more appropriate(if any):

1:

The application must allow the Administrator to edit, create and delete Users.

2:

The application must allow the Administrator to edit Users.
The application must allow the Administrator to create Users.
The application must allow the Administrator to delete Users.

Best Answer

I would go for number two.

Functions in function definitions while they should be worded in business terms should be atomic. What I mean by that is "maintain customer data" could include add, edit, delete, archive, disable etc. etc. A in list of functions "delete the customer data" could mean only one thing.

This helps specify the system more exactly in discussion with users as they are liable to say things like "I didn't mean remove the customer form the file, I meant flag him as an ex-customer", which they might have felt was an obvious implication of "maintain customer data".

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