The Digital Guide To Software Development

"The Digital Guide to Software Development," published in 1989 by Digital Equipment Corporation, offers a comprehensive overview of the methods and tools used by Digital's engineers to develop high-quality software products.

The book centers on Digital's proprietary "phase review process," a structured, incremental software development lifecycle comprising six key phases:

1. Strategy and Requirements: Identifying market needs, assessing technical feasibility, and defining product requirements.
2. Planning and Preliminary Design: Creating detailed product specifications, a preliminary design, and an integrated project-implementation plan. This includes high-level design, human interface design, design reviews, and standards adherence.
3. Detailed Design and Implementation: Executing plans by completing detailed designs, coding, and internal verification.
4. Qualification: Field testing the product at external sites to ensure it meets requirements and is ready for final production.
5. Manufacturing: Mass producing, packaging, and distributing the product.
6. Retirement: Phasing out marketing, manufacturing, and service responsibilities for the product.

A significant focus is placed on the use of Digital's Computer-Aided Software Engineering (CASE) tools and VMS utilities to enhance productivity and quality. Key tools highlighted include:

• VAXset: An integrated suite covering Language-Sensitive Editor (LSE), Source Code Analyzer (SCA), DEC/Test Manager, Performance and Coverage Analyzer (PCA), DEC/Code Management System (CMS), and DEC/Module Management System (MMS).
• VAX Software Project Manager: For project planning, scheduling, and control.
• Documentation Tools: VAX DIGITAL Standard Runoff, VAX DOCUMENT, and DECwrite.
• VMS Utilities: Message Utility, Command Definition Utility, and VMS Run-Time Library.
• VMS Debugger: For interactive debugging.

The guide also delves into practical aspects such as project management (team roles, planning, documentation), coding guidelines (readability, naming conventions, code reviews), and various testing processes (unit, integrated, regression, performance). Additionally, it addresses considerations for international product development and adherence to industry standards like IEEE.

Aimed at software development managers, engineers, technical writers, and students, the book provides insights into a disciplined and standardized approach to software development, emphasizing the importance of structured methodologies, robust tools, and a collaborative team environment for delivering successful and maintainable products.