The Types of Specification

Each type of specification forms an intermediate gate of the software process: A method of handover between separate parts of the development process. For example, a specification for the API of a software component is written by the group of people who are scoping its functionality and interface. The programmer works to this specification; it is complete enough to implement all the code. The same specification is a contract detailing how the systems integrator can stitch it into the system and how other programmers can use it. It also describes expected behavior, so the test department can validate that the software is working correctly.

In this way, the output of one specification flows naturally into the contents of ...

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