Analysis
Course Content
- Identify the end-user and functional requirements of a website problem that relates to the design and implementation at this level.
End User Requirements
When a client asks a developer to create a web site they will have a set of requirements in mind. These would usually be tasks that the website must be able to perform from a user's perspective.
If we use the SQA site as an example. Some of these end user requirements may be:
- To provide pupil’s details about their exams
- To be able to view past papers
These requirements are usually fairly high level and would require to be broken down into terms of functional requirements
Functional Requirements
If we take the user requirements
- To provide pupil’s details about their exams
- To be able to view past papers
This may be broken down into functional requirements such as:
- Display a SQA exam timetable when a user enters their Scottish Candidate Number
- Enter a pupil's details into the MySQA system when they press the register button
- Display past papers when a subject is chosen from a drop down box
- Allow the papers to then be filtered by level (N5/H/AH)
These are the actual operations that the web site must be able to perform that developers could design and then code.
A worked example - Band
A rock band has three members. The band wants to develop a website for its fans. The site will provide details about the band, including biographies, music tracks, video clips and concert details.
The band asked some of its fans (users) what they would like to see on the new website.
A few of their comments are below:
These comments help to form the user requirements
Band - End User Requirements
Users should be able to:
- Navigate the site easily
- View biographies and photos of band members
- View all upcoming concerts and link to an external booking site
- View video clips of the band
- Listen to the band’s audio tracks
Band - Functional Requirements
- The Home page should provide internal links to the four topic pages (biographies, music, videos and concerts).
- Individual profile pages should include biography information, with photos of the band member and should have a link back to the Biographies page.
- The Music page should list the band’s albums and allow individual audio tracks to be played.
- The Videos page should list video clips and allow these to be played.
- The Concerts page should list all the upcoming concerts, with links to the external booking site.
- All pages (except the Home page) should link back to the Home page.