CS 127, Design Document Specifications
In building any software probject, you need to make lots of decisions as
to how to design your system. It makes sense to think about these things
before you actually start coding - it will save you lots of time in the
long run. The design document should contain the following information:
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Descriptions of the classes you will need to solve the problem, including
variables and methods
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Prototypes of the methods and other functions that you will need
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Descriptions of the purpose for each method and function
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Descriptions of the variables, arrays, etc. you will need to store and
manage the information
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Estimates of how long it will take you to write each of these functions.
Consider how long it will take to translate the pseudocode into actual
C++ code, then remember to leave lots of time for debugging and testing.
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Your test plan: how will you test each of these functions individually
to make sure they work?
You should plan on getting each of your classes to function independently.
Among the many benefits of this approach is the constant availability of
a partial solution that can be handed in for grading, or demonstrated to
a customer, or released to the public for early testing.
Good luck!