"Allow" vs. "Require"

Subject: "Allow" vs. "Require"
From: "Dan Goldstein" <DGoldstein -at- riveraintech -dot- com>
To: <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Date: Mon, 9 Apr 2012 08:26:46 -0400

I'm working with Development on a very large set of design requirements.
There are many requirements that describe the software ("RCP") either
allowing or requiring an action by the user. There was some question as
to whether "allow" would be understood as an optional action, as in:
"The RCP shall allow the user to schlep the pekele," i.e., the user may
choose to schlep the pekele but doesn't have to.

One suggestion was: "The RCP shall optionally allow the user to schlep
the pekele," or similarly, "The RCP shall allow the user to optionally
schlep the pekele." But I don't like either of those very much.

I'm looking for something just as concise but a little less awkward.
"The RCP shall allow the user the option of schlepping the pekele"
sounds a little better to me, but I hate to turn a robust infinitive
into a namby-pamby gerund.

Thoughts?

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