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RSL
From Web 2.0 Wiki, RSL Wiki
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Requirement Specification Languages (RSLs)
Software requirements are normally described using a requirements specification language, with different levels of formality.
Formal approaches
Formal approaches are based upon concepts from the disciplines of logic and mathematics and use a formal notation to specify the requirements; they define a language with a formal syntax and semantics, with a high level of abstraction. Some examples of formal approaches include VDM [15] and Z [31].
Informal approaches
Informal approaches are normally supported by some form of natural language or modeling techniques that can be understood by the end-user.
The use of modeling techniques already implies some type of semi-formal semantics: the graphical elements of the notation used have a defined meaning, which is normally stated in natural language. The most well-known and successful example of these modeling languages is UML [27].
Requirements must reflect the user’s needs and support the communication between customers and software developers. Here is one of the most difficult challenges in the software development process: the communication gap between customers and information systems people.
Ideal approach
The ideal solution should combine the benefits of simultaneously using natural language and a precise (not necessarily formal) approach for requirements specification, which leads to the idea of using a controlled natural language. A controlled natural language is a subset of the words used in our common natural language, where the selected terms have their usual meaning, but can also be interpreted in specialized contexts (normally using tools).
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