Software Development Without Requirements: Lightweight Tactical Management

摘要

Research projects often have considerably less direction than is common in typical contracted software development. As a result, PSP/TSP/CMMI and other methodologies that rely on precise initial requirements and specifications are often not practical, or even applicable. As a consequence, agile software development methods must often be employed under such circumstances. The following describes our experiences in the design and ongoing development of the Tool-Bus/PathPort bioinformatics software system. Tool-Bus/PathPort's design was conceived in response to a set of vague and broad requirements, and its development illustrates both the flexibility and pitfalls of agile software development.