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In every software development job I've been in, bugs we writers
discover while working with the software in development were
considered an expected part of what we reported to the appropriate
folks. In some organizations, we sent the notices both to QA and to
Development--with enough of a writeup to allow others to recreate the
problem.
Originally, the "Software Development Life Cycle" aka "System
Development Life Cycle" was done by the Software Quality Institute at
Carnegie-Mellon University. However, it has since taken on something
of a life of its own. Here is a brief definition:
"System Development Life Cycle Model (SDLC Model)
This is also known as Classic Life Cycle Model (or) Linear Sequential
Model (or) Waterfall Method. This has the following activities.
1. System/Information Engineering and Modeling
2. Software Requirements Analysis
3. Systems Analysis and Design
4. Code Generation
5. Testing
6. Maintenance"
These days, there are various competing development models including
RAD (rapid application development) and its variant "Extreme
Programming" as originally promulgated by the Rational Corporation.
There are others.
Following the SDLC strictly is an improvement over ad-hoc procedures
that some still employ, certainly--but it is also often an invitation
to various failures.
One way to minimize those failures, I believe, is for a competent tech
writer to be involved from the earliest states of needs analysis and
creation of the requirements documents that both the customer (if any
at this point) and development must agree upon.
Unfortunately, too often the tech writers are called in much too
late--and there may be problems in understanding between the parties
that result in rather expensive fixes.
At one point a very few years ago, it was estimated that about half of
all software development projects were at least over budget in time
and/or money by twice the originally estimated amounts...and that a
quarter were never finished at all.
Sorry--this may be far more than you wished to know, but I have the
habit when someone asks for the time to try to tell them how to make
the watch...
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