Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!!

From	Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid>
Newsgroups	comp.arch.embedded
Subject	Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!!
Date	2017-05-17 09:36 -0700
Organization	A noiseless patient Spider
Message-ID	<ofhtvb$3v5$1@dont-email.me> (permalink)
References	(8 earlier) <ofh332$26n$2@dont-email.me> <dNUSA.16638$C56.1284@fx34.am4> <ofh7fs$g96$1@dont-email.me> <ofh9u9$ntk$1@dont-email.me> <ofhkmh$bb8$1@dont-email.me>

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On 5/17/2017 6:57 AM, Reinhardt Behm wrote:
>> Instead of having to actually *build*/prototype it and hope they
>> stumble on those same problems by "poking REAL buttons" (instead
>> of hypothetical buttons)
>
> No problem with this. The sys-reqs should just convey what the system does
> or should do. Your method of writing a "user manual" makes a some sense to
> me. As you rite it might help to find problems in the reqs. Thus help to
> create correct reqs.

Being conversational/narrative instead of declarative *seems* to be easier
for folks (e.g., clients) to relate to the content.  Listing a set of
"dry" requirements, free of context, seems to strain most folks' imaginations
("How does this pertain to <whatever>?").

Illustrations and a foamcore/cardboard/wood mockup (e.g., so they can see the
keys on a keypad, get an idea where the whizzbanger is located in relation to
that -- "Gee, how will left-handed folks feel using this?" -- and start
IMAGINING a real unit without requiring all the effort to fabricate the
electronics, software, etc.).

IME, any effort put into slapping together a "talking demo" (Dog 'n' Pony)
is hard to *discard*; there's always the nagging thought that you could
SALVAGE that effort and be a bit closer to "done".

But, you've probably not fully documented nor tested that stuff as it
wasn't expected to be ready for prime time.  And, you'll be biased
in your attempts to document/test it now -- opting to describe "what you
see" (or want to see) and not what it *should* have been, had you done
it AFTER knowing what your ultimate goal would be.

> My main point is that there should be a clearly defined spec for the system.

Preaching to the choir...

> Whether this is prose or what you call legalese is not so important. The

I understand your point, but I actually do think there is a big difference!
I used to write very detailed, "technical" specifications in "legalese"...
defining each term, formally, before use; highlighting each instance of
it in the text to draw attention to its role as a "Proper Noun" (so to speak);
etc.

I found that people found these too dry (IBM/Xerox-ish) and couldn't relate
the "requirement" to the likely implementation that would ultimately follow.
The User Manual approach is deliberately more colloquial and directly pertinent
to the final (yet to be produced) product.

I.e., when it talks about how the device will react to "incorrect user actions"
(lets not call them "user errors"), there is a narrative that puts those
actions in a context:  "Ah, OK; I can see how someone might do this out of
order..."

And, as I would ultimately end up having to create such a document, it
gives me that document "free" (at the expense of the "specification";
but, the folks that would normally see the specification see it in this
disguised -- but EQUIVALENT -- form).  I am loathe to have a single
datum (the "specification") present in two different forms -- it opens
the door for the two to disagree or for one to be updated without the
changes reflected in the other, etc.

> spec I write are also more prose than legalese. But I need something that I
> can also easily use to develop test cases from. I am not sure how to easily
> do that and be sure to have covered everything. It could make a gap analysis
> more complicated.

Yes.  But, easier for *you* to take on some "heavy lifting" than to pass
that extra effort on to others -- who may not be as disciplined!

(Life's not fair  :> )

Thread

[OT] I got a JOB!!! Tim Wescott <seemywebsite@myfooter.really> - 2017-05-16 13:49 -0500
  Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Steve Wilson <no@spam.com> - 2017-05-16 19:04 +0000
  Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-05-16 12:14 -0700
    Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Tim Wescott <tim@seemywebsite.really> - 2017-05-16 14:41 -0500
      Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-05-16 14:01 -0700
        Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! mike <ham789@netzero.net> - 2017-05-16 14:42 -0700
        Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Tim Wescott <seemywebsite@myfooter.really> - 2017-05-16 17:09 -0500
          Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-05-16 16:42 -0700
        Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Clifford Heath <clifford.heath@gmail.com> - 2017-05-17 09:00 +1000
  Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! eric.jacobsen@ieee.org - 2017-05-16 20:17 +0000
    Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Tim Wescott <tim@seemywebsite.really> - 2017-05-16 15:24 -0500
      Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Tom Gardner <spamjunk@blueyonder.co.uk> - 2017-05-16 22:05 +0100
        Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Tim Wescott <seemywebsite@myfooter.really> - 2017-05-16 17:11 -0500
          Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Tom Gardner <spamjunk@blueyonder.co.uk> - 2017-05-16 23:51 +0100
            Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Tim Wescott <seemywebsite@myfooter.really> - 2017-05-16 18:32 -0500
              Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Clifford Heath <clifford.heath@gmail.com> - 2017-05-17 09:41 +1000
                Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Tom Gardner <spamjunk@blueyonder.co.uk> - 2017-05-17 09:35 +0100
                Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Clifford Heath <no.spam@please.net> - 2017-05-17 19:03 +1000
                Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Tom Gardner <spamjunk@blueyonder.co.uk> - 2017-05-17 10:31 +0100
                Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Clifford Heath <no.spam@please.net> - 2017-05-17 23:07 +1000
              Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Tom Gardner <spamjunk@blueyonder.co.uk> - 2017-05-17 09:41 +0100
                Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Paul <paul@pcserviceselectronics.co.uk> - 2017-05-17 10:10 +0100
                Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Tom Gardner <spamjunk@blueyonder.co.uk> - 2017-05-17 10:34 +0100
                Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Paul <paul@pcserviceselectronics.co.uk> - 2017-05-17 15:59 +0100
                Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Tom Gardner <spamjunk@blueyonder.co.uk> - 2017-05-17 18:04 +0100
              Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Tom Gardner <spamjunk@blueyonder.co.uk> - 2017-05-17 18:02 +0100
            Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-05-16 17:56 -0700
              Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Tom Gardner <spamjunk@blueyonder.co.uk> - 2017-05-17 09:42 +0100
                Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Reinhardt Behm <rbehm@hushmail.com> - 2017-05-17 16:57 +0800
                Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Tom Gardner <spamjunk@blueyonder.co.uk> - 2017-05-17 10:32 +0100
                Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Reinhardt Behm <rbehm@hushmail.com> - 2017-05-17 18:12 +0800
                Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-05-17 03:54 -0700
                Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Reinhardt Behm <rbehm@hushmail.com> - 2017-05-17 21:57 +0800
                Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-05-17 09:36 -0700
                Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Niklas Holsti <niklas.holsti@tidorum.invalid> - 2017-05-17 18:07 +0300
                Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Robert Wessel <robertwessel2@yahoo.com> - 2017-05-17 10:44 -0500
                Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-05-17 09:47 -0700
                Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-05-17 10:18 -0700
                Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Niklas Holsti <niklas.holsti@tidorum.invalid> - 2017-05-17 20:25 +0300
                Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-05-17 12:01 -0700
                Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Tim Wescott <tim@seemywebsite.really> - 2017-05-17 10:25 -0500
                Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Tom Gardner <spamjunk@blueyonder.co.uk> - 2017-05-17 18:22 +0100
                Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Tim Wescott <seemywebsite@myfooter.really> - 2017-05-17 12:36 -0500
                Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Tom Gardner <spamjunk@blueyonder.co.uk> - 2017-05-17 18:45 +0100
                Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-05-17 03:42 -0700
  Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! "billbowden" <bperryb@bowdenshobbycircuits.info> - 2017-05-16 15:04 -0700
    Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-05-16 15:30 -0700
  Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Martin Riddle <martin_ridd@verizon.net> - 2017-05-16 20:02 -0400
  Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! krw@notreal.com - 2017-05-16 20:40 -0400
  Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Randy Yates <randyy@garnerundergroundinc.com> - 2017-05-17 09:12 -0400
    Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Tim Wescott <tim@seemywebsite.really> - 2017-05-17 10:02 -0500
      Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Tom Gardner <spamjunk@blueyonder.co.uk> - 2017-05-17 18:11 +0100
        Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Tim Wescott <seemywebsite@myfooter.really> - 2017-05-17 12:21 -0500
          Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Tom Gardner <spamjunk@blueyonder.co.uk> - 2017-05-17 18:36 +0100
            Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Tim Wescott <seemywebsite@myfooter.really> - 2017-05-17 12:43 -0500
              Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Tom Gardner <spamjunk@blueyonder.co.uk> - 2017-05-17 18:55 +0100
                Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Tom Gardner <spamjunk@blueyonder.co.uk> - 2017-05-17 18:57 +0100
                Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Tim Wescott <seemywebsite@myfooter.really> - 2017-05-17 13:28 -0500
                Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Tom Gardner <spamjunk@blueyonder.co.uk> - 2017-05-17 20:08 +0100
  Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! boB K7IQ <boB@everett.wa> - 2017-05-17 21:30 -0700
    Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Tim Wescott <tim@seemywebsite.really> - 2017-05-18 00:03 -0500
    Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Tom Gardner <spamjunk@blueyonder.co.uk> - 2017-05-18 08:18 +0100
      Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! boB K7IQ <boB@everett.wa> - 2017-05-18 22:56 -0700
        Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Vassilis Spiliopoulos <vassilis@vask1lux.de> - 2017-05-19 14:31 +0300
          Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Tim Wescott <tim@seemywebsite.really> - 2017-05-19 10:39 -0500
            Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Vassilis Spiliopoulos <vassilis@vask1lux.de> - 2017-05-19 23:02 +0300
              Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-05-19 13:12 -0700
                Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! dplatt@coop.radagast.org (Dave Platt) - 2017-05-19 15:00 -0700
                Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-05-19 16:05 -0700
              Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! boB K7IQ <boB@everett.wa> - 2017-05-21 01:46 -0700
                Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! Vassilis Spiliopoulos <vassilis@vask1lux.de> - 2017-05-21 17:31 +0300
                Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! John S <Sophi.2@invalid.org> - 2017-05-21 13:31 -0500
                Re: [OT] I got a JOB!!! krw@notreal.com - 2017-05-21 16:47 -0400

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