Component-based software development: implications for documentation

ABSTRACT

The progressive shortening of software development cycles has led software vendors to seek new ways of delivering their product to the customer. When a software product is updated every two or three months, delivering the product only on CD is not a viable alternative. For projects such as IBM VisualAge® for Java™, where a component-based strategy has been chosen for delivering software function, an equivalent strategy must be devised for delivering product documentation. This paper describes the approach we adopted to componentize the VisualAge for Java help system, and describes the technical challenges the approach posed to IBM writers, and the solutions chosen.

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  K. Computing Milieux
  K.6 MANAGEMENT OF COMPUTING AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS
      K.6.3 Software Management
          Subjects: Software development

Additional Classification:
  D. Software
  D.2 SOFTWARE ENGINEERING
      D.2.7 Distribution, Maintenance, and Enhancement
          Subjects: Documentation
  D.3 PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES
      D.3.2 Language Classifications

          Nouns: Java

  H. Information Systems
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)
      H.5.2 User Interfaces (D.2.2, H.1.2, I.3.6)
          Subjects: Training, help, and documentation
      H.5.4 Hypertext/Hypermedia
          Subjects: Navigation

General Terms:
Design, Documentation, Languages, Management, Performance, Theory

Keywords:
componentization, help system, navigation