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At 02:04 PM 03/20/2000 -0600, Locke, David wrote:
>No, a product cannot be reverse engineered from the manual ...
I don't believe that I'm the one who ever said reverse engineer. However,
it is very possible for a good manual to be used to create a system or
application.
By way of example, I once created a test management system which Computer
Associates tried very hard to purchase. (Alas, it was not mine to sell; it
belonged to my employer.) Had anyone seen the manual, it would have been
possible to have a good programmer create -- AND MARKET -- a comparable
system, since the manual made the system's concept and approach
painstakingly clear. (Conversely, to create it out of thin air, they would
have had to spend considerable time learning QA, etc.)
Under the circumstances, I don't think my employer would have been too
thrilled if I had indiscriminately left manuals with various interviewers.
"Scottie"
(The Scottish Terrier Lover)
