From: rgc@raybed2.UUCP (RICK CARLE)
Subject: Re: Rational ADA development environment
Date: 12 Feb 90 14:43:50 GMT [thread overview]
Message-ID: <1462@raybed2.UUCP> (raw)
In-Reply-To: 4722@rtech.rtech.com
In article <4722@rtech.rtech.com>, dennism@menace.rtech.COM (Dennis Moore) writes:
> Isn't this typical for a government project?!? 40,000 LOC and 2,500 pages
> of documentation? ... > If ADA is such a wonderful, self-documenting, easy
> to code, easy to understand, > easy to maintain language (as the government
> claims it is), then why are 2,500 pages of documentation necessary?
DoD-Std-2167 (& 2167A) is the true culprit here. Total ignorance of the
project in question does not inhibit me from suggesting that its
excessive documentation is caused by 4 related problems.
1) Dod-Std-2167 and its insistence on too many documents with too much
detail, all to describe a single program (a 2167 CSCI).
2) The tendency of software designers to map Ada compilation units (ie,
procedures, functions, tasks, packages) to 2167 "units" (2167A CSUs),
thus producing excessive paragraphs in the 2167/A SDDD & SDD documents.
It would be better to map Ada packages (or Library Unit Groups ala
Kaye Grau/Kathy Gilroy) to 2167 units.
3) The tendency of software designers, using Ada PDL, to over-design
practically to the point of coding. This causes every line of code to
be part of the design. This tendency has always been a problem with
software designers, but Ada PDL gives them the best tool ever for
committing their sins. One solution is simple restraint, perhaps
enforced by management. A more practical solution might simply be to
design no deeper than package specs.
4) The failure of government contracting officers and industry proposal
managers to routinely tailor 2167 to the needs of the particular
contract. Proponents of 2167 have claimed (don't expect me to provide
sources of quotes) that tailoring is essential to the successful
application of 2167, but few contracts follow that doctrine.
Rick Carle
next prev parent reply other threads:[~1990-02-12 14:43 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 11+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
1990-02-01 13:29 Rational ADA development environment Sandor Nieuwenhuijs
1990-02-02 20:03 ` William Thomas Wolfe, 2847
1990-02-03 1:41 ` Loren Rosen
1990-02-09 19:27 ` Steve Sawyers,212 ERF,,
1990-02-10 20:10 ` Dennis Moore
1990-02-12 13:08 ` David Nettles
1990-02-12 17:50 ` info wanted on debugging concurrent tasks Clement Pellerin
1990-02-13 17:38 ` Loren Louis Hart
1990-02-20 21:55 ` Rational ADA development environment George Mitchell
1990-02-12 14:43 ` RICK CARLE [this message]
1990-02-12 17:03 ` Jeff Clark
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