Documentation

[wolfrain63]

I am taking a software engineering class this semester. For our semester project we have to create a chess simulation that picks pieces randomly and moves randomly to see if a game can make a infinite amount of moves without either side winning. I have the coding finished and know I have to do the documentation. Which I have never been taught how to do it. So if any one has any good examples or links can you PM me or reply with them it would help out a lot.

The documentation is:
Project Plan, including milestone dates, milestone products, persons responsible: 35 points.
Architectural Design: 40 points.
Detailed Design using standard UML symbols, or data flow diagrams, flow charts and/or pseudocode: 60 points.
Test Plan: 30 points.

[griswolf]

If your professor doesn't have good examples and references, you need to report (him) to the department head as being incompetent to teach the course. And, since (he) must have chosen "good ones" (by (his) standards), you are much better off using those than some you find anywhere else, since preferences are very different. My professor for the equivalent class graded at least partly on the weight of the printed document, heavier docs getting a better grade, all other things equal. I, on the other hand, strongly prefer short documents with a great index. I'm sure you see the point.

[rubberman]

Also, coding first then writing the specs and other documentation is bass-ackward! Gather requirements, write specifications (use-cases), design the system (class model, relationship diagrams, pseudo-code, scenarios, state machines, etc), write user document, develop test plan, write code, execute test plan, update documentation for changes made while coding/testing, and track the fulfillment of the requirements - what code artifacts are related to which requirements.

By the time you get to coding, 90% of the work has been done, you have a clear understanding of what the system is going to do, and how it will do it. As a result, you will finish the coding and testing phase much faster, and are likely not to encounter any major need to redesign, which is what gets you into major time trouble on a project like this.

[wolfrain63]

Yea i all ready did the SRS pseudo code and data flows. The thing is i was never taught how to do the documentation of user guides detailed designs and test plan documentation. Was just asking for some good templates

[Momerath]

Check out the book Software Project Survival Guide. It has examples and templates for everything you need.

[rubberman]

Yea i all ready did the SRS pseudo code and data flows. The thing is i was never taught how to do the documentation of user guides detailed designs and test plan documentation. Was just asking for some good templates

Ok. Then you are most of the way there. There are open source projects that have decent user manuals that you should look at, and the Software Project Survival Guide mentioned should be helpful. Here is a set of Google search terms that will bring up a number of user manual templates you can download and/or use: software user manual template