Includes bibliographies and index

In any software project the analysis stage - documenting and designing requirements to meet the needs of the prospective users - is vital to the success of the project. This is an introduction to analysis and where it fits into the software engineering process. The author illustrates useful techniques and identifies potential pitfalls. The book is based on courses offered at Columbia University to a diverse audience of students and professionals. Throughout, the author is concerned to emphasize the stages of analysis and to identify many alternative modelling tools that an analyst can use. Particular emphasis is placed on Joint Application Development and on prototyping. Readers are assumed to have a reasonable understanding of computer concepts and terminology.