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in reply to Planning your software before writing
Flowcharts are good, but whats much more valueable to me is documentation of the data structures, and a heirarchial diagram of how you implemented the processes of the flow diagram. Documenting the objects is very valuable(both data and the code itself - if its object oriented).
Flowcharts alone don't go very far with me, they leave a lot unsaid..up to your interpretation/guesswork. If all you have is the flow diagram, you need to delineate where/how the various tasks in the flow are implemented in the coded routines.
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Re: Re: Planning your software before writing
by belize (Deacon) on Jan 08, 2001 at 21:23 UTC
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" much more valueable to me is documentation of the data structures"
Is this documentation of data structres done within the code, or do you make it a separate document? Wouldn't it best to develop a system where flow charts and data structures flow from one document attached to the software?
I am just surprised that I have never seen any of this with any Open Source software that I have looked at.
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In the business world it'd all go into a separate document. For a script I'd write to send out for other's to use on the net, it'd probably go in the code. In most cases though the documentation is long enough(and extensive) that it'd seem a waste of real estate to put it into the code as comments/pod IMHO. Its also more readable(and thus understandable) for me when its in word processor with a nice clear(slightly larger) font and pretty formatting.
I've also worked with scripts written by others that were so heavily commented that it would have been easier to understand without any comments at all.
Everyone is slightly religious about how the prep work/documentation of their application is done..
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