Partial Inception Documents

I have completed the first iteration of the Software Requirements Specification and the some of the Use-cases:

MetriK SRS

MetriK Use-Cases


As I go through the inception phase and start developing these artifacts, I am realizing that I only have so much time and resources to spend on each one. Thus, you will notice that in some areas there are some deficiencies. In later iterations these "holes" will be filled and in some cases when I feel that I have completed enough to continue, they will be omitted. I also made decided that several of the use-cases should be composite to speed things up and cut down the complexity that could occur if each use-case was a stand alone and “fully dressed.”

The most important thing is not that the documents are perfect, but that they help me to better grasp the overall architecture and requirements in general. It doesn’t help me to write down what I already know, but it does help me in the fact that I am broadening my knowledge of the requisite problem domains. I guess that is the essence of a software process derived from the UP school of thought.

Next up:

1. Use Case Diagrams
2. Glossary
3. Design Model
4. Implementation Model
5. Architectural baseline (yeah)
6. UML Package, class, and interaction diagrams
7. Additional documents
8. Software Architectural Document
9. Current Schedule (I am behind on this)
   

I continuing with the metaphor of using a modified UP software process, I will likely create either abbreviated versions of these traditional UP artifacts and in some cases creating composite artifacts when I feel that it is necessary.

Formal Proposal Approval

I have completed the formal proposal for the project, which is basically the overall project plan, vision, base schedule and list of deliverables. Luckily it was approved, but additional work is needed to get in the proper format for the department. Now, I am starting the requirements process and developing use-cases to support the requirements and vice-versa.

Unfortunately due to funding issues at my work I have started a job-search and have been hit hard by recruiters and interviews this week. This has much to do with the formal proposal not be properly formatted and a bit "rough."

I have had a few offers and narrowed the field down to two companies and will be making the decision about which job to take very soon. Then, hopefully i can concentrate more on the project.

As if anyone doesn’t know this already...recruiters are found somewhere between the Cretans and the troglodytes in the human race. Truly a strange lot.

Motivation

I am a graduate student at CSUF in the Masters in Software Engineering program. As a requirement to completing the program I must either do a research paper or do a development project that according to the department, must be: (a) non-trivial and (b) meaningful to me. Being one who likes both research and development, I have decided to incorporate both into a single project: MetriK – a defect and measurement repository and analytic subsystem.

This blog will be my bastion for all things relating to this project, as well as place to record my thoughts regarding software development.