Software design description: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|writtenWritten design description of a software product}}

{{See also|Game design document}}

{{refimprove|date=September 2014}}

{{IEEE software documents}}

A '''software design description''' (a.k.a. '''software design document''' or '''SDD'''; just '''design document'''; also [[Software Design Specification]]) is a representation of a software design that is to be used for recording design information, addressing various design concerns, and communicating that information to the design’s stakeholders. <ref>{{Cite journalbook|title=IEEE Standard for Information Technology--Systems Design--Software Design Descriptions|urlpublisher=http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/5167255/IEEE STD 1016-2009|date=July 2009|pages=1–35|doi=10.1109/ieeestd.2009.5167255|isbn=978-0-7381-5925-6 }}</ref> An SDD usually accompanies an architecture diagram with pointers to detailed feature specifications of smaller pieces of the design. Practically, the description is required to coordinate a large team under a single vision, needs to be a stable reference, and outline all parts of the software and how they will work.

{{Short description|written design description of a software product}}

A '''software design description''' (a.k.a. '''software design document''' or '''SDD'''; just '''design document'''; also [[Software Design Specification]]) is a representation of a software design that is to be used for recording design information, addressing various design concerns, and communicating that information to the design’s stakeholders. <ref>{{Cite journal|title=IEEE Standard for Information Technology--Systems Design--Software Design Descriptions|url=http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/5167255/|doi=10.1109/ieeestd.2009.5167255}}</ref> An SDD usually accompanies an architecture diagram with pointers to detailed feature specifications of smaller pieces of the design. Practically, the description is required to coordinate a large team under a single vision, needs to be a stable reference, and outline all parts of the software and how they will work.

==Composition==

The SDD usually contains the following information:

#The ''[[Data-driven design|data design]]'' describes structures that reside within the software. Attributes and relationships between [[data object]]s dictate the choice of [[data structures]].

#The ''[[Software architecture|architecture design]]'' uses information flowing characteristics, and maps them into the program structure. The transformation mapping method is applied to exhibit distinct boundaries between incoming and outgoing data. The data flow diagrams allocate control input, processing and output along three separate modules.

#The ''[[Interface (computing)|interface design]]'' describes internal and external program interfaces, as well as the design of the [[User interface design|human interface]]. Internal and external interface designs are based on the information obtained from the analysis model.

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== IEEE 1016 ==

'''IEEE 1016-2009''', titled ''IEEE Standard for Information Technology—Systems Design—Software Design Descriptions'',<ref name="IEEE1016">{{cite book|title=IEEE Standard for Information Technology — Systems Design — Software Design Descriptions |publisher=IEEE |date=2009-07-20 |doi=10.1109/IEEESTD.2009.5167255 |isbn=978-0-7381-5925-6 |title=IEEE Standard for Information Technology--Systems Design--Software Design Descriptions }}</ref> is an [[IEEE]] standard that specifies "the required information content and organization" for an SDD.<ref>IEEE 1016, ''Abstract''.</ref> IEEE 1016 does not specify the medium of an SDD; it is "applicable to automated databases and design description languages but can be used for paper documents and other means of descriptions."<ref>IEEE 1016, ''Abstract''.</ref>

The 2009 edition was a major revision to IEEE 1016-1998, elevating it from recommended practice to full standard. This revision was modeled after [[IEEE 1471|IEEE Std 1471-2000]], ''Recommended Practice for Architectural Description of Software-intensive Systems'', extending the concepts of [[IEEE 1471#IEEE Conceptual Framework for Architecture Description|view, viewpoint, stakeholder, and concern]] from architecture description to support documentation of high-level and detailed design and construction of software. [IEEE 1016, ''Introduction'']

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In addition, users of the standard are not limited to these viewpoints but may define their own.<ref>IEEE 1016, sub-clause 4.5.</ref>

== IEEE Statusstatus ==

IEEE 1016-2009 is currently listed as 'Inactive - Reserved'.<ref>{{cite webbook | URLdoi = https:/10.1109/ieeexplore-ieee-orgIEEESTD.wrs2009.idm.oclc.org/document/5167255/| title = IEEE Standard for Information Technology--Systems Design--Software Design Descriptions| publisher = IEEE STD 1016-2009| date = July 2009| pages = 1–35| isbn = 978-0-7381-5925-6}}</ref>

== See also ==