APPLY
Specify requirements and rules
Turn intentions into explicit behavior and inspectable cases.
Start here
EARS
Give a textual requirement explicit context, trigger, and observable system response.
A requirement should expose its trigger, conditions, and response. Example Mapping reveals questions through concrete cases. Gherkin can preserve agreed examples for discussion and, with implementation, executable tests.
This recommendation fits when
A team needs to agree what should happen before building or changing a feature.
Choose differently when
Precise wording does not settle an unresolved policy. Record unknown cases instead of assigning invented outcomes.
A practical route
- Identify actors, triggers, conditions, and observable responses.
- Try normal, boundary, and failure cases.
- Resolve conflicts or leave the decision explicitly open.
- Retain agreed scenarios beside the requirement.
Useful companions
Example Mapping
Explore a feature by separating rules, concrete examples, unanswered questions, and scope.
Gherkin
Express a concrete behavior through starting conditions, an event, and an observable outcome.
This is an editorial recommendation for the stated situation. It is not a personalized diagnosis or a ranking of all methods.