Documentation consists of written descriptions about the program. Documentation
is needed so that others can understand the program.
The
user may need to know what the program does and how to use it. The programmers
may need to know how to modify the program so as to remove obscure program
bugs that are not detected during testing. Modification may also be required
to improve the program performance in the future. An example of such documentation
is a technical anual which should include:
1)
Title
2)
Specifications of the problem
3)
Data structures
4)
Algorithms
5)
List and definitions of variables used
6)
List of files used
7)
Annotated program listing
8)
Test data
9)
Sample output
It
should be noted that documentation is not something done just at the end
of the program development process. It should be done throughout all phases
so that important details are not missing. For example, all materials related
to the payroll problem presented in this chapter may constitute the final
version of the documentation required.
