Iteration 1 – Phase 1 – Elements of the Problem Domain |
||
|
The
Problem Statement: “The
game program will handle recording of the passage of turns; apply any
alterations… … The
system will provide methods of entering, retrieving, and reporting various
game state related information.” |
Iteration 1. 2000 Dec 05 As we can see, the problem statement encompasses quite a bit of ground without being too specific on how to accomplish the desired result. At this point the analysis phase can be said to begin. In many cases, more often than most would like to admit, it is only after considerable effort that the problem domain is determined and given written expression. In a great many cases it is never actually pinned down. These latter cases tend to be experiences of great unpleasantness for the unfortunates trapped in such projects. It is common for the analysis phase to be both an exploration of the extent of the problem space and a general introduction to the nature of the problem domain for the project team’s technical members. IT people are often completely unfamiliar with the user environment. A large part of the process is therefore concerned with accurately describing what the user group wants in terms that the technical team can comprehend. At the same time, what the technical people actually intend to do needs to be conveyed back to the user community in a fashion that is, clear, unambiguous, and timely. Design conflicts that arise out of mutual misunderstanding need to be identified and resolved, quickly. Various methodologies exist to accomplish this, some of which actually work to some degree. We are loosely using a form of the Rational Unified Process (RUP) in this project. Our project also has several advantages not commonly encountered. First, the lead designer has intimate personal knowledge of the problem domain. Second, the problem domain is itself a highly stylized manual representation of what is essentially an application program. |
|
|
Rational Unified Process - RUP. The
RUP is a particular set of activities and expected concrete results that are
used to provide a disciplined and rigorous approach to systems design and
development. The process can
conceivably be applied to any large-scale intricate activity, from building a
pyramid to building a particle accelerator.
It is commonly used for much more mundane tasks such as our project. Rational
Corp. developed and published this method. You can find out more at their web
site www.rational.com |
||