1. Systems Life Cycle – Ch 29 Documentation

2. Objectives Know that there are two types of documentation produced for a new system Understand the different information requirements of users and analysts Be able to describe the contents of the different types of documentation

3. There are two types of documentation that should be produced when creating a new system: • Userdocumentation • Technical documentation

4. User Documentation • The user documentation is intended to help the users of the system. • The users are usually non-technical people, who don't need to know how the system works. They just need to know how to use it.

5. User documentation usually includes: • List of minimum hardware and software required to use the system • How to install the system • How to start / stop the system • How to use the features of the system • Screenshots showing the system in typical use • Example inputs and outputs • Explanations of any error messages that might be shown • A troubleshooting guide

6. Maintenance • Once a system is running correctly it can still need maintenance. This may be because a bug is found or because the company needs a new feature.

7. Technical Documentation • The technical documentation is intended to help the people who will maintainthe system (the people who need to keep the system running smoothly, fix problems, etc.) • It is also for future analysts to use when modifying or expanding the system • All these are usually technical people, who need to know exactly how the system works.

8. Technical documentation usually includes • Details of the hardware and software required for the system • Details of data structures (data types, field names, etc.) • Details of expected inputs • Details of validation checks • Details of how data is processed • Diagrams showing how data moves through the system (DFDs) • Flowcharts describing how the system works

9. If you buy a car, you wouldn't normally want the technical documentation for it. Your mechanic would be the person who would need the technical documents. If the car needed servicing, or fixing, the mechanic would look in the document to understood how the various systems in the car worked.

10. Data Flow Diagrams • Normally produced during the analysis phase • Show how the flow of data takes place during an operation

11. Summary

12. Task: • Read chapter 28 and 29 of your text book. • Copy the Data Flow Diagram into your book, along with the explanation.