Creating a Glossary

A glossary is used to capture the vocabulary of the problem domain. Once created, the glossary is automatically linked to the requirements. Using the glossary it is easily visible whether the agreed vocabulary is used in all descriptions.

To create a new glossary, select Glossary in the context menu of a requirements analysis.





You can create multiple glossary nodes with specific names (set in the properties view) to group your glossary terms.

Creating Glossary Entries

In the context menu of the glossary node you can then create glossary entries by clicking Entry.

Glossary Overview

By double-clicking on the Glossary node, an overview over all glossary entries opens.



The list of glossary entries can be sorted by clicking on the column headers of the overview list. You can filter the glossary entries by inserting filter text in the filter section. Double-clicking on a column opens the corresponding glossary entry.

Specifying Glossary Entries

For each entry you should at least specify the name (the vocabulary term it represents). In the definition field you should enter what this term means in your problem domain. An entry also has a status field (Options: New, In consolidation, Consolidated) which can be used to consolidate it with others. Furthermore you can specify abbreviations and synonyms for the entry and add a comment. In names, abbreviations and synonyms only the special characters "-_/’()" are allowed.



For further description of the entry you can add pictures. To add a picture click on the Add button and choose an image file in the dialog. You can add as many pictures as you want. Each image has a description field which can be used to give information about the picture and to number the pictures. If you click on an added picture, it should be displayed in full resolution in your systems picture viewer.
When you add a picture it is copied into the Images folder in the project directory, next to your .af3_20 file. If you want to send the model file to someone else, you should also send the Images folder.

Consolidating Glossary Entries

The status field supports the consolidation of glossary entries (and requirement sources). We assume that there are two groups of persons involved in the consolidation process. The first group of people documents the glossary entries; we call these persons the requirements engineers. The second group of people has to agree on the terms in the glossary; we call these persons now the decision makers. These groups can of course overlap or even be identically. Typically, these two groups are defined when a project starts. Typical members of decision makers are for example the client or the product manager.

Every requirement engineer can document new glossary terms and add definitions, abbreviations and so on. The status for new terms is new. When a requirements engineer decides that the new term is sufficiently described, he can set the status to in consolidation. For a terms that is in consolidation, the decision makers have to agree on that term, its definition and so on. When all decision makers agree, then the status of this term can be set to consolidated. If a term is consolidated and a decision maker thinks that this term is not defined correctly, then he/she can set the status back to new which triggers a new round of consolidation.

The status field can be filtered in the Glossary Overview in order to determine the list of terms that are new, in consolidation or consolidated.