Head First Object-Oriented Analysis and Design

Chapter 2. Gathering Requirements: Give Them What They Want

Everybody loves a satisfied customer. You already know that the first step in writing great software is making sure it does what the customer wants it to. But how do you figure out what a customer really wants? And how do you make sure that the customer even knows what they really want? That’s where good requirements come in, and in this chapter, you’re going to learn how to satisfy your customer by making sure what you deliver is actually what they asked for. By the time you’re done, all of your projects will be “satisfaction guaranteed,” and you’ll be well on your way to writing great software, every time.

You’ve got a new programming gig

You’ve just been hired as the lead programmer at a new start-up, Doug’s Dog Doors. Doug’s got a pretty high-tech door under development, and he’s decided you’re the programmer that can write all the software to make his killer hardware work.

Todd and Gina: your first customer

Todd and Gina want more than a “normal” doggie door. Todd has everything from his plasma TV to his surround sound stereo to his garage door operating off of a remote control, and he wants a dog door that responds to the press of a button. Not satisfied with a little plastic flap letting their dog in and out, they’ve given ...