Generating user stories and acceptance criteria through extensions to the iStar framework

Abstract

1. Introduction: Currently, user stories and acceptance criteria are the most used primary artifact for the documentation and specification of requirements in the software development life cycle, mainly due to their concise notation and natural language. However, these artifacts are usually poorly written, generating process debts, and therefore, quality defects in the system that is developed. To minimize this problem, the capabilities of the iStar Framework—which is a framework for objective-oriented requirements modeling—have been extended, defining 9 transformation rules, a process and an application example, which will support the transformation of iStar models in models adapted to the structure of user stories and acceptance criteria according to the Gherkin format. 2. Method: For this, a systematic and detailed process was followed made up of process elements as well as roles, subprocesses, activities and input and output artifacts. Likewise, the evaluation of the proposal was carried out through a focus group made up of professionals who are experts in agile approaches, user stories and acceptance criteria. 3. Results and discussion: The results show that the participants determined that the proposed rules and the process defined for their application are clear, complete, suitable and applicable in agile projects, and that in addition; provides a valuable tool to companies to improve the identification, documentation, specification and development of functional requirements. 4. Conclusions: The proposed transformation rules, process and application example allow professionals in software organizations to have a graphic and general vision of the relationships between actors and activities within a software system, which can be translated into the generation of specifications. of functional requirements through user stories and acceptance criteria minimizing documentation defects.