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Theory Notes/๐Ÿ—„๏ธ Topic 4: Data & Information Management, Solution Development/12.4.16
12.4.16Grade 12

Software Documentation

A PAT-only subtopic (not examinable in the written papers) covering the professional documents that should accompany a complete software project.

DocumentPurpose
Specification DocumentDefines WHAT the software must do โ€” the requirements, from the client/user's perspective
Design DocumentDefines HOW the software will meet those requirements โ€” planned classes, data structures, interface layout, algorithms
Technical DocumentDescribes the technical implementation details โ€” how the system was actually built, for future developers/maintainers
Testing DocumentRecords the test plan, test data used (standard/extreme/abnormal), and the results of testing

๐Ÿ’ก Exam Tip

Think of these four documents as following the natural project lifecycle: Specification (what's needed) โ†’ Design (how it'll be built) โ†’ Technical (how it actually was built) โ†’ Testing (proof that it works) โ€” a complete PAT should be able to show evidence of all four.