Connecting functional and feature requirements to support alignment to automated system tests

Abstract

Requirements engineering and software testing are two closely related areas of software development, and coordinating their functioning can therefore be highly beneficial. Coordination between the two areas can be achieved by effort adjustments in respective area, and this is referred to as alignment. To achieve, as well as to maintain alignment can however be complicated, and several challenges are associated with alignment. In an industrial context through an empirical study does this research explore ways to improve alignment, as well as challenges to alignment. A test structure for higher-level software testing that builds on the hierarchical relationship between functional and feature requirements is proposed as a way to support alignment. The proposed test structure is evaluated for efficiency through two quasi-experiments, as well as its ability to support alignment during a focus group with practitioners. It is found that the proposed structure through modularisation ease maintenance of software tests, while it at the same time supports alignment between requirements engineering and software testing.