1 AVCE ICT Unit 7 - Programming Session 8 – Documenting your programs

2 Program design You should have analysed the user requirements and produced a specification This is only the start of the design process – you might have to “return to the drawing board” many times before the program is finished

3 The Software Development Lifecycle This is an idea used by software designers that the whole process can be thought of as a cycle The stages are: Analyse the problem Produce a specification Produce the program Test it Evaluate how well it met the original need

4 The Software Development Lifecycle Can be a linear process Start at one end and work to the other A circular process If it didn’t meet the original needs totally, go back to the start refining your original idea This can also be thought of as a spiral Hopefully, you will reach the end where no further refinement is needed

5 Documentation This is the weak point for many programmers It isn’t a good idea to do all design work on a computer You wouldn’t start building a house without plans!

6 Documentation Sketches can be used to show the user interface The program flow can be shown by using Jackson Structure Diagrams or flowcharts Code can be written in a general form called structured English or pseudocode This can then be converted into any programming language

7 Documentation Design happens in stages and your documentation should be broken down to show this Using VB, many programmers start with the interface They then code the controls as needed You still need to have an overall plan though

8 Flowcharts Can be used to show program flow Use standard symbols A Process A decision (If…..Then) Start or End Disk storage Manual input

9 Task Prepare a flowchart for making beans on toast Prepare a flowchart for a program that adds together two numbers

10 Jackson Structure Diagrams These are diagrams that show the sub procedures that make up a whole program Developed by one Michael Jackson (honestly ) in the 1970s They are “read” from left to right Major processes are shown along the top Elementary (the most broken down) sub processes are shown along the bottom

11 Assignment tasks You will be required to produce several pieces of documentation: A user manual Technical documentation including specification, design diagrams, pseudocode, interface design plus actual screen images and code printouts

12 Jackson Structure Diagrams Symbols are used in the box to show if it is an iteration (loop) process Or a selection (If …Then) process Ordinary sequential flow does not have an additional symbol The handout has tasks to complete

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