Requirements

In software development, requirements are things that the business or users want to see in their product. They are ideas for new features formed into artefacts which state expectations of how the software should work.

Requirements usually come in the form of short descriptive sentences that detail rules, And a specification is a set of different requirements that will describe a feature, or a product. Requirements can help provide context for what the team needs to deliver, and we can use requirements and specifications to guide our testing activities too. 

Requirements are explicit instructions based upon implicit ideas, meaning that the author's intention might not be communicated well. Requirements can be misunderstood by the team when reading them and assumptions can be made. 

Software testers should be aware that they may need to test around the requirements, meaning they shouldn't just confirm the requirement is true. You can never think of every permutation or variable of the software and how it will be will be used when creating the requirements. So explore it to the testing beyond the requirements as required.

Requirements examples:

Requirements are documented descriptions of what a system does, how it behaves, and what constraints it must operate within. They're more than just a wish list or a set of features. They are a contract between stakeholders about what will be delivered.

Requirements translate business needs into technical specifications. They ensure that what gets built aligns with business objectives and user needs.

The lifeline of creating any software product is its requirements. They work like a corridor between business goals and technical outcomes. They provide a structure for the product that will be created, how individual parts will work, and expectations of the product. They also provide a foundation for the overall software engineering work. However, not all requirements are equal, nor do they come in the same size or even format.

 A requirement is much more than something to check off a list; it’s a starting point for testing.