4.6 Prototyping
Prototyping is used frequently during the requirements portion of a project. Many tools exist that allow a
prototype, exhibiting some characteristics of a system, to be created very quickly and easily. See also ASTM
E1340-96.
Prototypes are useful for the following reasons:
a) The customer may be more likely to view the prototype and react to it than to read the SRS and react
to it. Thus, the prototype provides quick feedback.
b) The prototype displays unanticipated aspects of the systems behavior. Thus, it produces not only
answers but also new questions. This helps reach closure on the SRS.
c) An SRS based on a prototype tends to undergo less change during development, thus shortening
development time.
A prototype should be used as a way to elicit software requirements. Some characteristics such as screen or
report formats can be extracted directly from the prototype. Other requirements can be inferred by running
experiments with the prototype.