SRS content: user characteristics and technical environment

Name:

Date:

Class:

Quick Questions

Shade in the A or B circle for each question.

1. Which detail belongs in the user characteristics part of an SRS?

A Staff have basic computer skills and need large, clear buttons

B The Gantt chart showing when each task will be finished

2. Which statement describes the hardware part of the technical environment?

A The app must run on tablets with 4 GB of RAM and a 10-inch screen

B The app must have a blue and white colour scheme

3. An SRS says the solution must run on Windows 11 and macOS. Which technical environment detail is this?

A Operating system

B User skills

4. Which is a network dependency the SRS should record?

A The app will be coded in 6 weeks by a team of three

B The app needs a stable internet connection to sync with a cloud database

5. Which is a software dependency the SRS should record?

A The solution should have a modern, friendly feel

B The solution needs Python 3.11 and a SQLite library installed

Match the Pairs

Draw a line connecting each item on the left to its match on the right.

Left column		Right column
1User characteristics		AUsers: Year 7 students, basic computer skills, need large buttons and simple menus
2Technical environment		BThe SRS section describing who will use the solution, including their skills, experience, age and needs
3The SRS records user skills and needs so the design suits the people using it		CUser skills and needs are placed in the technical environment. They belong under user characteristics, while the technical environment covers hardware, operating system, software and network.
4The SRS records the hardware, operating system and network the solution depends on		DHardware, operating system and network requirements are listed as user characteristics. They belong in the technical environment, not the description of the users.
5Technical environment: Users are Year 7 students who need large buttons		ERuns on Windows 11 laptops, 8 GB RAM, Python 3.12, needs school Wi-Fi
6User characteristics: Needs Windows 11, 8 GB RAM and Wi-Fi		FThe SRS section describing the hardware, operating system, software and network the solution will run in

Definitions

technical environment

Fill in the Blanks

Complete each line of code by filling in the missing parts.

3.1 ____________________: Year 7 students

________________: Windows 10 or later

Network: ________ needed for cloud saves

Technical ___________: hardware, OS, network

Hardware: 8 GB ___ and 256 GB storage

Spot the Error

Shade in the letter of the line that contains an error.

Question 1

A User group: Year 7 students

B Skill level: expert developer

C Need: simple, large buttons

Question 2

A Hardware needed:

B RAM: 4 GB maximum

C Storage: 500 MB free

Question 3

A Operating system:

B - Windows 10 or later

C - Any OS ever made

Question 4

A Network environment:

B Connection: school Wi-Fi

C Speed: 10 MB minimum

Question 5

A Hardware needed:

B CPU: dual-core 2 GHz

C RAM: 4 GB minimum

D Storage: 2 GHz free

Answer Key

SRS content: user characteristics and technical environment

Section A: Quick Questions

A — Staff have basic computer skills and need large, clear buttons

A — The app must run on tablets with 4 GB of RAM and a 10-inch screen

A — Operating system

B — The app needs a stable internet connection to sync with a cloud database

B — The solution needs Python 3.11 and a SQLite library installed

Section B: Match the Pairs

User characteristics → The SRS section describing who will use the solution, including their skills, experience, age and needs

Technical environment → The SRS section describing the hardware, operating system, software and network the solution will run in

The SRS records user skills and needs so the design suits the people using it → Users: Year 7 students, basic computer skills, need large buttons and simple menus

The SRS records the hardware, operating system and network the solution depends on → Runs on Windows 11 laptops, 8 GB RAM, Python 3.12, needs school Wi-Fi

Technical environment: Users are Year 7 students who need large buttons → User skills and needs are placed in the technical environment. They belong under user characteristics, while the technical environment covers hardware, operating system, software and network.

User characteristics: Needs Windows 11, 8 GB RAM and Wi-Fi → Hardware, operating system and network requirements are listed as user characteristics. They belong in the technical environment, not the description of the users.

Section C: Definitions

technical environment — The SRS section describing the users (their skills and needs) and the hardware, operating system, software and network the solution will run in.

Section D: Fill in the Blanks

3.1 User characteristics: Year 7 students

Operating system: Windows 10 or later

Network: internet needed for cloud saves

Technical environment: hardware, OS, network

Hardware: 8 GB RAM and 256 GB storage

Section E: Spot the Error

B — Year 7 students who need simple, large buttons are beginners. The user characteristics must match the real users, so the line should read 'Skill level: beginner'.

B — An SRS states the minimum hardware needed to run the solution, not a maximum. It should read 'RAM: 4 GB minimum'.

C — The SRS must name specific operating systems and versions that the solution will run on. 'Any OS ever made' is vague and unrealistic. It should be something like '- macOS 12 or later'.

C — Network speed is measured in megabits per second (Mbps). MB is a unit of storage, so the line should be 'Speed: 10 Mbps minimum'.

D — GHz measures processor speed, not storage space. Storage is measured in MB or GB, so the line should be 'Storage: 500 MB free'.