The systems life cycle: documentation Cambridge IGCSE Information & Communication Technology revision
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In plain words
A system is not finished until it is written down. Two very different readers need it explained: the technicians who will maintain and improve it, and the people who simply have to use it.
5 things to know
- Technical documentation is written for programmers and systems analysts. It lets them maintain, repair and update the system.
- It includes: the purpose of the system, its limitations, program listings, the programming language, program flowcharts or algorithms, system flowcharts, hardware and software requirements, file structures, a list of variables, input and output formats, sample runs and validation routines.
- User documentation is written for the people who use the system. It tells them how to use it and what to do when something goes wrong.
- It includes: the purpose and limitations of the system, hardware and software requirements, how to install and run the software, how to save and print, how to add, edit and delete records, input and output formats, sample runs, error messages, a troubleshooting guide, frequently asked questions and a glossary.
- Some items appear in both: the purpose of the system, its limitations, hardware and software requirements, input and output formats and sample runs.
Worked example
Decide where each belongs: a program listing, how to print a report, a list of variables, a troubleshooting guide.
- A program listing and a list of variables are about how the system was built. They belong in the technical documentation.
- How to print a report and a troubleshooting guide are about using the system. They belong in the user documentation.
Tips and tricks
- Ask who needs it. Someone changing the program: technical. Someone using the program: user.
- "Purpose of the system" is in both. In a question asking for items found only in one, do not use it.
It lands in your notebook with its questions as flashcards.
The systems life cycle: documentation: 5 questions and answers
These are the quiz’s questions. Do the quiz first, then come back here for the ones that got you.
Who is technical documentation written for?
They maintain and update the system.
Which item belongs in user documentation?
It explains how to use the system.
Which item belongs in technical documentation?
It shows how the program works.
Which item appears in both kinds of documentation?
Both the technician and the user need to know what the system runs on.
What is the purpose of user documentation?
It is written without technical language.
Quiz
5 questions
Tap an answer and you’ll see straight away whether it’s right, and why.
Worksheet
2 questions, 6 marks. Write your answers on paper, then check them.
The systems life cycle: documentation
Cambridge IGCSE Information & Communication Technology 0417 · 6 marks · papermunch.org
Name ______________________________ Date ______________
State three items found in technical documentation but not in user documentation.[3]
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Program listings, a list of variables and file structures. (Also: program flowcharts, system flowcharts, validation routines.)
State three items found in user documentation.[3]
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How to install and run the software, how to save a file, and a troubleshooting guide. (Also: error messages, frequently asked questions, a glossary.)
Answers: The systems life cycle: documentation
- 1. Program listings, a list of variables and file structures. (Also: program flowcharts, system flowcharts, validation routines.)
- 2. How to install and run the software, how to save a file, and a troubleshooting guide. (Also: error messages, frequently asked questions, a glossary.)