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Notes User Assistance (aka documentation) has three writers dedicated to
writing functional specs for Notes and Domino. Iris Associates, the
Notes/Domino development group, has deemed functional specs an essential
part of their development process. The functional spec team, of which I am
a member, is involved in the development process from the beginning. I
can't tell you what a difference that makes in terms of developing
relationships with developers, and finding out what's *really* going on
with the product. And most developers hate writing specs, so if you can
help them with this, you generally get their undying gratitude, which you
can cash in later. :-)
Many Iris developers write their own specs. We are here to help those
developers who don't have the time, or who need some writing help to
develop their specs. We have the advantage of knowing the 'dumb' questions
that need to be asked, after all.
We also encourage the doc writers to get involved with specs. As I said
earlier, there's nothing like writing a spec to get you up close and
personal with the developers and the development process.
As for the difference between functional and technical specs, that's an
arbitrary distinction. Our specs contain all the information needed by
other developers, QE, and doc. There's a special section in each spec
called "UA requirements," where whoever is writing the spec can call
attention to UI, gotchas, and other things that doc might need to know. Of
course, this section is always fleshed out by the spec writers; not always
completed if the spec is written by the developer. :-)
If you have the opportunity to help your developers write specs, do it. It
will save you immeasurable time and energy down the road when it comes to
writing your doc. Not to mention the fact that the developers will know
who you are and that you helped them big time.
Of course, this is IMNSHO as a spec writer. :-)
****************************************************************************
Amy Smith, Notes User Assistance Group
Lotus Development Corp.
External: 617/693-9733 Tie line: 333-9733
amy_smith -at- lotus -dot- com
"Now they show you how detergents take out bloodstains, a pretty violent
image there. I think if you've got a T-shirt with bloodstains all over it,
maybe laundry isn't your biggest problem. Maybe you should get rid of the
body before you do the wash."-- Jerry Seinfeld
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