Single System of Program Documentation (SSPD)

Generally the ESPD standards contain requirements to structure, contents and document creation, describing the program at different stages of its lifecycle. Besides, several documents are devoted to an order of storage and updating of documentation.

The ESPD standards are almost deprived by a methodical component. They do not explain to the developer as it is necessary to write documentation that it turned out useful, clear, informative, convenient, etc. They give only the list of document types and the list of sections of the first level for each of them. However, about each section it is told what data should be stated in it.

The ESPD standards were adopted in the late seventies and reached us in the type close to initial. Practice of work of departmental computer centers where big computers were operated is reflected in them. Interaction of the person with a computer system then was constructed at all not as now, and it was performed via bulky panels, punched cards and printouts, and for the "mere mortals" solving applied problems also with mediation of skilled staff. Whether it is necessary to explain long as far as these standards so far became outdated? It is enough to tell that to them such documents as the user guide and the administrator guide distributed today are unknown.

And nevertheless continue to use them actively. Formally to "nineteenth" there is a modern alternative. Are translated into Russian and some ISO/IEC standards in the field of system and software engineering are adopted in Russia as national. But large, including, the state customers do not hurry to pass to them. It can be explained them with stagnancy (or correctness of tradition as it is pleasant to you more), but only partly.

Case in volume, each ESPD standard at small (pages three at most) volume represents set enough formal and therefore easily checked requirements to the document or to a documentation kit. Strictly speaking, it does not prevent the developer of documentation to write correctly issued nonsenses. But as ESPD accurately defines what should consist of and as the result should look, we can reject, at least, at once a pack of paper which does not fit into this framework. What significantly simplifies a problem of an acceptance of documentation both for the customer, and for the contractor.

The ISO/IEC standards, on the contrary, contain many reasonable rules of informative character, but it is difficult to imagine the procedure of their formal check. However, nobody prevents to apply both rows of standards at the same time, the benefit, they concern different aspects of documentation and each other practically do not contradict.

See Also