Requirewhats?

It started out innocently enough. I wanted to get started on a MailReader for WebWork to serve as the basis of a new MailReader training course. In setting up the folders, it occured to me that I should get started on the “Cookbook” application too, and add generic cases to the Cookbook for everything in MailReader. Since the MailReader has a set of Use Cases now, it only made sense to have Use Cases for the Cookbook too. Since, ultimately, the Cookbook should illustrate all the primary uses of the framework, then, gee, the framework should have its own set of use cases too.

For Use Cases, I like the Cockburn format (“co-burn”). In his svelte Writing Effective Use Cases, Cockburn points out that while Use Cases are part of the requirements, they are not all of the requirements. Cockburn also provides what he calls “A plausible requirements outline,” and he puts the Use Cases in chapter 3. If the Action 2 framework was going to have Use Cases, may be it should have a Requirements document too.

I got a good start on drafting some plausible software requirements for WebWork/Action2, but only a start. First, I needed to finish up on StrutsCentral.net and PlanetStruts.org. Those are ready to launch now, and so I can get back to the WebWork Use Cases, Cookbook, and MailReader this week.