軟體工程閱讀（中英文對照）之需求分析

　　The first questions a businessperson，such as the manager of a department，should consider are：“What needs to be done better in my business？”and“Will a computer help？”[1]．Of course，that person might have a difficult time specifying exactly what needs to be done more efficiently in his or her business．And，there are cases where managers introduce computers into their departments without understanding their applications．For example，suppose a small firm does not have a working manual accounting system but contracts the job to an accounting service because no one in the firm really understands accounting．A computerized accounting system might be difficult to implement or，worse yet，might aggravate the accounting problem．
　　However，thinking about a new computer system is an ideal opportunity for businesspeople to reexamine their business and the manner in which it is operated．The starting point for the requirements analysis is a review of the potential applications．
　　Making a requirements list of your applications can be done in a simple，nontechnical way．First，make a list of potential applications．Then，write a description of each applications and decide whether it can justify needing a computer system．Also include in the description how much time will be spent using the application．When people begin to describe their applications，it becomes easier to picture more concrete uses and functions for computer systems．The descriptions will serve as guidelines in later phases of the life cycle．
　　For example，let us examine the case of two secretaries：one is an executive secretary for the president of a firm and the other is a legal secretary for a law firm．The executive secretary is primarily interested in a word processing application to handle business correspondence，which consists of letters，memos，and brief proposals that flow through the office [2]．The secretary will use word processing on a daily basis，but only for brief periods during the day．As the secretary begins to describe the applications，he finds out that most of the documents are under three pages and that a word processing package that is easy to learn and use will satisfy most of his needs[3]．
　　On the other hand，the law firm’s secretary needs a word processing application to process the legal contracts and other documents that flow through the law firm’s office．In this case，the documents are lengthy and require extensive revisions．The word processor plays a central role in this secretary’s work，and it is used extensively．The simple，easily learned word processing software might suffice for the executive secretary，but the legal secretary needs word processing software geared to the legal profession that may be harder to learn but，in the long run，will be a more effective tool to solve the problem．

翻譯：

　　一個實業家（比如一個部門的經理），首先應該考慮“讓事業更興旺需要做些什嗎？”、“電腦能提供協助嗎？”當然，要準確地說明他或她所經營的業務需要採取哪些卓有成效的措施是比較困難的，經營者沒弄清楚電腦的具體應用就將它們引入其經營部門的情況是存在的。例如，假定一個小商行沒有－個人真懂會計業務，而不用人工記賬系統卻把這一工作交給記賬服務程式，而電腦記賬系統可能難以完成，或者更糟，反倒增加了記賬困難。
　　但是，考慮一個新的電腦系統對於經營者重新審查業務及經營方式是一個絕好的機遇。需求分析是從考察潛在的各項應用著手。
　　可以用一種簡單而非技術性的方式列出所有應用的需求清單。首先，列出潛在的各項應用。然後，對每項應用作出說明，並決定是否有理由使用電腦系統；另外，該說明還包括應用的時間長短。這樣，當人們著手描述應用時，勾畫出電腦系統的具體用途和功能就變得得心應手。這份說明書將作為生存周期後期的指導原則。
　　例如，我們來看看兩位秘書的工作情況：一位是一家商行經理的執行秘書，另一位是律師事務所的法律秘書。執行秘書感興趣的主要是處理商業函件的文書處理應用。這些商業函件包括辦公室經手的信件、備忘錄以及簡要建議書。雖然秘書每天都需使用文書處理系統，但它只佔一天中很短的時間。當秘書著手描述應用時，他發現大多數檔案在3頁以內，一種易學易用的文書處理軟體包就能滿足其大部分需要。
　　而另一方面，律師事務所的秘書則需要處理事務所的法律合約以及其他檔案的文書處理應用，這些檔案冗長且需要反覆修訂，因此文書處理在該秘書的工作中起著關鍵作用並得到廣泛應用。簡單易學的文書處理軟體對於執行秘書來說可能已經足夠，但對法律秘書則要求適合法律職業的文書處理軟體，此軟體可能不易掌握，但從長期使用的角度來看，它將是解決問題的一個更為有效工具。

The requirements analysis is important because it will play a major role in determining the design of specific software and hardware systems．
　　Often，systems analysts in medium and large-scale organizations must use an existing system on which they base their requirements analysis．In this case，gaining an understanding of the existing system can be viewed as a background study that is a preliminary phase to the definition phase．A systems analyst would analyze an existing system and produce a written document that would identify the following：
• The needs of the people who use the system；
• The existing inputs，outputs，and processing；
• The flow of information through the system．
　　Once a good understanding of the existing system has been acquired，it serves as a basis for a detailed functional specification in which problems and opportunities to improve effectiveness can be identified and communicated to others[1]．The analyst should always examine the existing system to see if needs can be met without a new system．
　　As information is collected about the current system，it should be organized so that every possible solution and its feasibility can be examined．The systems analyst works with users to analyze the alternatives．In this case，the goal of the background study is to：
•  Identify and prioritize system-related problems and costs；
•    Identify opportunities to improve systems performance；
•    Produce a functional specification．
　　On the other hand，in many cases a systern must be designed to fill a need that did not exist beforehand．New computer systerns are often technology-driven．That is，as a technology becomes feasible to implement，it presents new business opportunities．For example，the automated teller machines（ATMs）presented the banking industry with a new opportunity．In that case，the  process did not start with a request from a user，but as an opportunity created by new computer software and hardware．
　　The requirements analysis is one of the most important tasks to undertake，because it answers such questions as：
•   What is the user’s problem？
•   Will a computer help？
•   What is the system required to do？
•  What are some preliminary approaches to the problem？

NOTES
[1] “… a businessperson，such as the manager of a department，should consider”是省略關係代詞“that”的限定性定語從句，修飾主語“questions”，其中“such as…”是插入語，說明“businessperson”。
[2] “to handle”引出的不定式短語，作定語修飾“a word processing application”；其後which引導的非限制性定語從句修飾“correspondence”。
[3] 句中有3個“that”，前兩個that，即“that…and that…”引導兩個並列的賓語從句；最後一個“that”引導定語從句，修飾“word processing package”。
[4] “in which”到句末為引導詞是介詞賓語的定語從句；其中“to improve effectiveness”為不定式短語，作定語修飾“problems and opportunities”。

KEYWORDS
requirement analysis    需求分析
background study    背景研究

　　需求分析十分重要，因為它在決定專用軟體和硬體的設計中起著重要的作用。
　　通常，大中型機構的系統分析員必鬚根據現有系統做需求分析。在這種情況下，瞭解現有系統的工作可視為背景研究，這是方案論證的預備階段。系統分析員將分析現有系統，併產生一個明確以下幾項的書面檔案：
　　　使用該系統的人員的需要；
　　　現有的輸入、輸出及處理能力；
　　　系統的資訊流。
　　一旦對現有系統有了充分的瞭解，就有條件寫一份詳細的功能說明書，其中要明確提高效率的問題和時機，且將它通知給其他人員。分析員應一直觀察現有系統，判斷不用新系統是否能滿足需要。
　　在收集有關現有系統資訊的同時，應將資訊組織好以便於審查各種可能的解決方案及其可行性。系統分析員與使用者共同分析研究替代方案。在這種情況下，背景研究的目的是：
　　　確定系統有關的問題及花費，並排出解決的先後次序；
　　　確定改進系統效能的時機；
　　　制定一份功能說明書。
　　另一方面，許多情況下必須設計一個新系統來填補原來系統的不足。新電腦系統往往是技術驅動性的，即每當一種技術成熟可行時，就會給事業帶來勃勃生機。例如，自動櫃員機給銀行業帶來新的生機。在這種情況下，此過程並不是源於使用者的要求，而是新的電腦軟硬體的產物。
　　需求分析是要完成的最重要的任務之一，因為它回答了以下問題。
　　　使用者的問題有哪些？
　　　電腦有協助嗎？
　　　要求系統做什嗎？
　　　解決問題的預備工作有哪些？

EXERCISES
1．True / False．
（1）＿＿＿＿There are cases where managers introduce computers into their departm-ent without understanding their applications．
（2）＿＿＿＿A law firm’s secretary is primarily interested to handle business corresp-ondence．
（3）＿＿＿＿A executive secretary is primarily interested to process the legal contracts.
（4）＿＿＿＿System analysts in large-scale organizations would understand the existi-ng systems．
（5）＿＿＿＿ATMs are introduced as technology driven．
（6）＿＿＿＿Listing a requirement you need a technical way．
（7）＿＿＿＿Information of requirement should be organized so that every possible solution can be examined．
（8）＿＿＿＿“What needs to be done better in my business？”is the first question for a businessman．
2．Fill in the blanks with appropriate definitions or phrases．
（1）Requirements analysis answers ＿＿＿＿．
（2）One of the goal of the background study in system analysis is to＿＿＿＿．
（3）＿＿＿＿plays a central role in secretary’s work．
（4）For a detailed functional specification＿＿＿＿serves as a basis．
（5）The first step of making a requirement list of your application is ＿＿＿＿．
（6）＿＿＿＿would analyze an existing system．
（7）The requirement analysis is important because it plays a major role in＿＿＿＿．
（8）The analyst should always examine the existing system to＿＿＿＿．
a．to make a list of potential applications
b．The word processor
c．determining the design of specific software and hardware systems
d．A system analyst
e．a good understanding of the existing system
f．see if needs can be met without a new system
g．identify opportunities to improve systems performance
h．“Will a computer help？”

答案：
1．（1）t  （2）f   （3）f   （4）t
　（5）t  （6）f   （7）t   （8）t
2．（1）h  （2）g   （3）b   （4）e
　（5）a  （6）d   （7）c   （8）f