CPRE Online Glossary - CPRE - IREB – International Requirements Engineering Board

The Requirements Engineering terminology in different languages

The CPRE Glossary covers the core terms of Requirements Engineering. The definitions of the terms are generally given in English and have not been translated. This avoids any vagueness or room for interpretation that may result from translations. In addition, the terms of the CPRE Glossary are harmonized with the terminology of the ISTQB.

The online glossary corresponds to the version available for download and is the central reference for the CPRE Foundation Level and the CPRE Advanced Level. For the Advanced Level RE@Agile, a supplementary glossary that defines the terms for Requirements Engineering in the agile environment is available for download.

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Safety

CPRE Glossary

The capability of a ↑system to achieve an acceptable level of probability that the system, under defined conditions, will not reach a state in which human life, health, property, or the environment is endangered.

Note:
Safety ↑requirements may be stated as ↑quality requirements or in terms of ↑functional requirements.
Scope (of a system development)

CPRE Glossary

The range of things that can be shaped and designed when developing a ↑system .
Security

CPRE Glossary

The degree to which a ↑system protects its data and resources against unauthorized access or use and secures unobstructed access and use for its legitimate ↑users.

Note:
Security requirements may be stated as ↑quality requirements or in terms of ↑functional requirements.
Semantics

CPRE Glossary

The meaning of a sign or a set of signs in a ↑language .
Sequence diagram

CPRE Glossary

A diagram type in ↑UML which models the interactions between a selected set of ↑objects and/or ↑actors in the sequential order in which those interactions occur.
Service

CPRE Glossary

The provision of some ↑functionality to a human or a ↑system by a provider (a system, organization, group or individual) that delivers value to the receiver.

Note:
In systems engineering, software engineering and Requirements Engineering, services are typically provided by a ↑system for a ↑user or another system.
Software requirements specification

CPRE Glossary

A ↑requirements specification pertaining to a software ↑system .

Abbreviation: SRS
Specification

CPRE Glossary
1. As a work product: A systematically represented description of the properties of an ↑item (a ↑system , a device, etc.) that satisfies given criteria.
2. As a process: the process of specifying ( ↑eliciting , documenting and ↑validating ) the properties of an ↑item .
Note:
A specification may be about required properties ( ↑requirements specification ) or implemented properties (e.g., a technical product specification).
Sprint

CPRE Glossary

An ↑iteration in ↑agile development, particularly when using ↑Scrum.
Stakeholder

CPRE Glossary

A person or organization who influences a ↑system’s ↑requirements or who is impacted by that system.

Note:
Influence can also be indirect. For example, some stakeholders may have to follow instructions issued by their managers or organizations.
Stakeholder requirement

CPRE Glossary

A ↑requirement expressing a ↑stakeholder desire or need.

Note:
Stakeholder requirements are typically written by stakeholders and express their desires and needs from their perspective.
Standard

CPRE Glossary

A formal, possibly mandatory set of regulations for how to interpret, develop, manufacture or execute something.

Note:
In RE, there are RE-relevant standards issued by ISO/IEC and IEEE.
State machine

CPRE Glossary

A ↑model describing the behavior of a ↑system by a finite set of states and state transitions. State transitions are triggered by events and can in turn trigger actions and new events.
State machine diagram

CPRE Glossary

A diagrammatic representation of a ↑state machine .
Statechart

CPRE Glossary

A ↑state machine having states that are hierarchically and/or orthogonally decomposed.
Synonym

CPRE Glossary

A word having the same meaning as another word.
Syntax

CPRE Glossary

The rules for constructing structured signs in a ↑language .
System

CPRE Glossary
1. In general: A principle for ordering and structuring.
2. In engineering: A coherent, delimitable set of elements that – by coordinated action – achieve some purpose.
Note:
1. A system may comprise other systems or ↑components as sub-systems.
2. The purposes achieved by a system may be delivered by
  - deploying the system at the place(s) where it is used,
  - selling/providing the system as a ↑product to its ↑users,
  - having providers who offer the system’s capabilities as ↑services to users.
3. Systems containing both software and physical ↑components are called cyber-physical systems.
4. Systems spanning software, hardware, people and organizational aspects are called socio-technical systems.
Important: In all definitions referring to system in this glossary, system is an umbrella term which includes
- ↑products provided to customers,
- ↑services made available to customers,
- other work products such as devices, procedures or tools that help people or organizations achieve some goal,
- system ↑components or ↑compositions of systems.
System boundary

CPRE Glossary
The boundary between a ↑system and its surrounding ↑context .
Note:
1. The system boundary delimits the system as it shall be after its implementation and deployment.
2. At the system boundary, the external interfaces between a ↑system and its ↑context have to be defined.
3. The system boundary frequently coincides with the ↑scope of a ↑system (which denotes the range of things that can be shaped and designed). However, this is not always the case: there may be components within the system boundary that have to be re-used as they are (i.e., cannot be shaped nor designed), while in the system context there may be things that can be re-designed when the system is developed (which means that they are in scope).
System context

CPRE Glossary

The part of a ↑system’s environment that is relevant for the definition as well as the understanding of the ↑requirements of a ↑system to be developed.
System requirement

CPRE Glossary

A ↑requirement pertaining to a ↑system .
System requirements specification

CPRE Glossary

A ↑requirements specification pertaining to a ↑system .

Note:
A system requirements specification is frequently considered to be a synonym for ↑requirements specification.

Abbreviation: SyRS

Downloads

The CPRE glossary is also available for download as PDF document in:
• Chinese (Mandarin)
• Dutch
• English
• French
• German
• Italian
• Persian
• Polish
• Portuguese (Brazil)
• Russian
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