SOFTDOC - A system for automated software static analysis and documentation

Abstract

The code itself is useless without adequate documentation. Besides that it is almost impossible to validate and verify code unless it is properly documented. Yet most of the attention of the past has been devoted to producing code and little to producing the documentation although it is obvious that it is necessary both for testing and maintaining the software product. Software documentation can be classified according to its usage. Thus, there is a functional documentation for describing what a system does and what it is used for, and technical documentation for describing how the software is constructed and how it performs its functions. The former is directed toward the user, the latter toward the tester and maintainer. The two are, however, highly interrelated. Since the programmer seldom writes the user documentation it is necessary for those who describe what the system does, to know how it does it. An accurate technical documentation is a prerequisite for producing accurate user documentation. Finally it serves yet another purpose. Without it, it is not possible to control the quality of the software. Software Quality Control presupposes a full and up to date technical description in order to assess the characteristics of the system such as modularity, portability, reliability, etc.