Where to start?
-
Hello fellows. Last week, the company I'm working on finally decided to create a new system from scratch. However, because of compromises with other projects, I've been left alone to design this new system. The bosses told me to start today (I already have the user's requirements for the application). So here I am, sitting at my laptop. And I have no clue where to start. Shall I start making UML diagrams, or should I start by making a document with the specification? What would be your advise? Where to start? Thanks for your comments. [EDIT] Uh, by the way, hope this is not taken as a programming question :~ [/EDIT]
A polar bear is a bear whose coordinates has been changed in terms of sine and cosine. Personal Site
Fernando A. Gomez F. wrote:
Where to start?
I still haven't used UML. Maybe one day I should, but... I generally start with a pen and lots of paper or maybe a dry erase board. Writing out a document is a bit too formal for the first run IMO. I like to commit to a bit of design first before it goes down in some spec doc.
Jeremy Falcon "It's a good thing to do and a tasty way to do it." - Wilford Brimley[^]
-
Hello fellows. Last week, the company I'm working on finally decided to create a new system from scratch. However, because of compromises with other projects, I've been left alone to design this new system. The bosses told me to start today (I already have the user's requirements for the application). So here I am, sitting at my laptop. And I have no clue where to start. Shall I start making UML diagrams, or should I start by making a document with the specification? What would be your advise? Where to start? Thanks for your comments. [EDIT] Uh, by the way, hope this is not taken as a programming question :~ [/EDIT]
A polar bear is a bear whose coordinates has been changed in terms of sine and cosine. Personal Site
-
Hello fellows. Last week, the company I'm working on finally decided to create a new system from scratch. However, because of compromises with other projects, I've been left alone to design this new system. The bosses told me to start today (I already have the user's requirements for the application). So here I am, sitting at my laptop. And I have no clue where to start. Shall I start making UML diagrams, or should I start by making a document with the specification? What would be your advise? Where to start? Thanks for your comments. [EDIT] Uh, by the way, hope this is not taken as a programming question :~ [/EDIT]
A polar bear is a bear whose coordinates has been changed in terms of sine and cosine. Personal Site
Either penn and paper, VS Class designer, or SQL Tables? If you are writing a data driven app (which is what I do mostly) then map out all of your data / relationships. That's where I would start.
-
Hello fellows. Last week, the company I'm working on finally decided to create a new system from scratch. However, because of compromises with other projects, I've been left alone to design this new system. The bosses told me to start today (I already have the user's requirements for the application). So here I am, sitting at my laptop. And I have no clue where to start. Shall I start making UML diagrams, or should I start by making a document with the specification? What would be your advise? Where to start? Thanks for your comments. [EDIT] Uh, by the way, hope this is not taken as a programming question :~ [/EDIT]
A polar bear is a bear whose coordinates has been changed in terms of sine and cosine. Personal Site
Fernando A. Gomez F. wrote:
And I have no clue where to start.
Write yourself some fun little stories based on the user's requirements. Then whip up some prototypes that fit into your stories. Then base your design on the prototypes. Or, i guess, draw pictures. Whatever helps you build a mental model, see?
-
Hello fellows. Last week, the company I'm working on finally decided to create a new system from scratch. However, because of compromises with other projects, I've been left alone to design this new system. The bosses told me to start today (I already have the user's requirements for the application). So here I am, sitting at my laptop. And I have no clue where to start. Shall I start making UML diagrams, or should I start by making a document with the specification? What would be your advise? Where to start? Thanks for your comments. [EDIT] Uh, by the way, hope this is not taken as a programming question :~ [/EDIT]
A polar bear is a bear whose coordinates has been changed in terms of sine and cosine. Personal Site
-
Hello fellows. Last week, the company I'm working on finally decided to create a new system from scratch. However, because of compromises with other projects, I've been left alone to design this new system. The bosses told me to start today (I already have the user's requirements for the application). So here I am, sitting at my laptop. And I have no clue where to start. Shall I start making UML diagrams, or should I start by making a document with the specification? What would be your advise? Where to start? Thanks for your comments. [EDIT] Uh, by the way, hope this is not taken as a programming question :~ [/EDIT]
A polar bear is a bear whose coordinates has been changed in terms of sine and cosine. Personal Site
If requirements are reaally done then I'll move on with Business rules, then the Actors catalog. Then a conceptual design, fisical and logical. After depending on how far you want to go you could make the test cases (don't know how to name it in English) hope you'll understand. And an important point often left apart is risk managment and risk prevision (don't know how it is exactly called in English, sorry)
-
Hello fellows. Last week, the company I'm working on finally decided to create a new system from scratch. However, because of compromises with other projects, I've been left alone to design this new system. The bosses told me to start today (I already have the user's requirements for the application). So here I am, sitting at my laptop. And I have no clue where to start. Shall I start making UML diagrams, or should I start by making a document with the specification? What would be your advise? Where to start? Thanks for your comments. [EDIT] Uh, by the way, hope this is not taken as a programming question :~ [/EDIT]
A polar bear is a bear whose coordinates has been changed in terms of sine and cosine. Personal Site
Well, thanks a lot to everyone. I'll take all of your suggestions, thanks a lot! Cheers, Fernando.
A polar bear is a bear whose coordinates has been changed in terms of sine and cosine. Personal Site
-
Hello fellows. Last week, the company I'm working on finally decided to create a new system from scratch. However, because of compromises with other projects, I've been left alone to design this new system. The bosses told me to start today (I already have the user's requirements for the application). So here I am, sitting at my laptop. And I have no clue where to start. Shall I start making UML diagrams, or should I start by making a document with the specification? What would be your advise? Where to start? Thanks for your comments. [EDIT] Uh, by the way, hope this is not taken as a programming question :~ [/EDIT]
A polar bear is a bear whose coordinates has been changed in terms of sine and cosine. Personal Site
I'd read through the user docs, make notes and a list of questions and find someone to talk to about them. Make sure you understand what's really being asked of you before you delve too far into the nitty gritty.
BW
If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.
-- Steven Wright -
A competitor for this[^] software. It's a system for managing restaurants. :)
A polar bear is a bear whose coordinates has been changed in terms of sine and cosine. Personal Site
-
I'd read through the user docs, make notes and a list of questions and find someone to talk to about them. Make sure you understand what's really being asked of you before you delve too far into the nitty gritty.
BW
If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.
-- Steven Wrightbrianwelsch wrote:
Make sure you understand what's really being asked of you before you delve too far into the nitty gritty.
That's a good point.
Jeremy Falcon "It's a good thing to do and a tasty way to do it." - Wilford Brimley[^]
-
Hello fellows. Last week, the company I'm working on finally decided to create a new system from scratch. However, because of compromises with other projects, I've been left alone to design this new system. The bosses told me to start today (I already have the user's requirements for the application). So here I am, sitting at my laptop. And I have no clue where to start. Shall I start making UML diagrams, or should I start by making a document with the specification? What would be your advise? Where to start? Thanks for your comments. [EDIT] Uh, by the way, hope this is not taken as a programming question :~ [/EDIT]
A polar bear is a bear whose coordinates has been changed in terms of sine and cosine. Personal Site
1. document with specs. 2. diagrams like uml. 3. divide it in several blocks. 4. document with specs for all blocks. 5. diagrams for like uml for all blocks. 6. start to program. Of course this is not as simple, but you can start with that. Of course you can even make time approximations and make a gantt chart. hope this helps...
-
A competitor for this[^] software. It's a system for managing restaurants. :)
A polar bear is a bear whose coordinates has been changed in terms of sine and cosine. Personal Site
There seems to be quite a few of those. I actually submitted my resume a while back to a similar company. Never heard from them. If you have the user requirements, come up with a couple of test scenarios to see how the system will work and create a couple of use cases for that. Seems to me that the number of use cases for that is pretty simple, even though the number of input and output parameters probably isn't.
"Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all other countries because you were born in it." - George Bernard Shaw Web - Blog - RSS - Math - LinkedIn - BM
-
Fernando A. Gomez F. wrote:
And I have no clue where to start.
Write yourself some fun little stories based on the user's requirements. Then whip up some prototypes that fit into your stories. Then base your design on the prototypes. Or, i guess, draw pictures. Whatever helps you build a mental model, see?
You sneaky, agile dog, you.
Software Zen:
delete this; -
Hello fellows. Last week, the company I'm working on finally decided to create a new system from scratch. However, because of compromises with other projects, I've been left alone to design this new system. The bosses told me to start today (I already have the user's requirements for the application). So here I am, sitting at my laptop. And I have no clue where to start. Shall I start making UML diagrams, or should I start by making a document with the specification? What would be your advise? Where to start? Thanks for your comments. [EDIT] Uh, by the way, hope this is not taken as a programming question :~ [/EDIT]
A polar bear is a bear whose coordinates has been changed in terms of sine and cosine. Personal Site
To hell with documentation - write the code and then create a document that describes it.
"Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass..." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997
-----
"...the staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - Jason Jystad, 10/26/2001 -
To hell with documentation - write the code and then create a document that describes it.
"Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass..." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997
-----
"...the staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - Jason Jystad, 10/26/2001 -
To hell with documentation - write the code and then create a document that describes it.
"Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass..." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997
-----
"...the staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - Jason Jystad, 10/26/2001John Simmons / outlaw programmer wrote:
write the code and then create a document that describes it.
That's why God invented doxygen! :->
Jeremy Falcon "It's a good thing to do and a tasty way to do it." - Wilford Brimley[^]
-
Hello fellows. Last week, the company I'm working on finally decided to create a new system from scratch. However, because of compromises with other projects, I've been left alone to design this new system. The bosses told me to start today (I already have the user's requirements for the application). So here I am, sitting at my laptop. And I have no clue where to start. Shall I start making UML diagrams, or should I start by making a document with the specification? What would be your advise? Where to start? Thanks for your comments. [EDIT] Uh, by the way, hope this is not taken as a programming question :~ [/EDIT]
A polar bear is a bear whose coordinates has been changed in terms of sine and cosine. Personal Site
Fernando A. Gomez F. wrote:
Shall I start making UML diagrams, or should I start by making a document with the specification? What would be your advise? Where to start?
Start with storyboarding the UI and user interactions. On paper. :) Marc
People are just notoriously impossible. --DavidCrow
There's NO excuse for not commenting your code. -- John Simmons / outlaw programmer
People who say that they will refactor their code later to make it "good" don't understand refactoring, nor the art and craft of programming. -- Josh Smith -
To hell with documentation - write the code and then create a document that describes it.
"Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass..." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997
-----
"...the staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - Jason Jystad, 10/26/2001:-D:-D:-D I'm really tempted to do so. However, the customer is requiring full documentation of everything :( and so my bosses.
A polar bear is a bear whose coordinates has been changed in terms of sine and cosine. Personal Site
-
Fernando A. Gomez F. wrote:
Shall I start making UML diagrams, or should I start by making a document with the specification? What would be your advise? Where to start?
Start with storyboarding the UI and user interactions. On paper. :) Marc
People are just notoriously impossible. --DavidCrow
There's NO excuse for not commenting your code. -- John Simmons / outlaw programmer
People who say that they will refactor their code later to make it "good" don't understand refactoring, nor the art and craft of programming. -- Josh SmithMarc Clifton wrote:
On paper.
I have to admit I'm surprised you say this. Not that I disagree, but I thought you were a Visio buff. Seeing that I've never used Visio (I'd rather put my money in a diff dev tool), this does leave me wondering if it's really good for anything outside of code generation.
Jeremy Falcon "It's a good thing to do and a tasty way to do it." - Wilford Brimley[^]
-
To hell with documentation - write the code and then create a document that describes it.
"Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass..." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997
-----
"...the staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - Jason Jystad, 10/26/2001Well for me the time requirement usually prohibits me from ever spending any effort on documentation or planning so I usually start a new project by 5 to 10 consecutive days where I write 1000 or more lines of new code each day. From there I discover what problems need further looking into and what optimizations need to be made. Then in a few weeks a prototype is made and a demo is given then new requirements are given to me and I spend time working on the changed specifications. Then debugging starts...
John
