Checklist for Java Project Design Report

Formal Requirements

1. Are all the tasks the user wants to perform specified?

2. Are the system inputs fully specified (i.e., source, accuracy, allowable range)?

3. Are the system outputs fully specified (i.e., destination, expected range)?

4. Are formats for the system inputs and outputs specified?

5. Are all communication interfaces specified, including use of standards and provision for handling errors?

6. Are maximun/minimum memory requirements specified?

7. Are timing requirements fully specified (e.g., expected processing time; the program response time from a user's point of view)?

Formal Architecture

1. Use of User-defined Code versus Library Code

   • Does the architecture describe how reused code will be made to conform to other architectural objectives?

   • Is the program architecture readily adaptable to change?

2. Program Modules

   • Are the modules well defined, including their functionality and interfaces to other modules?

   • Are all of the functions listed in the requirements implemented by too many (or too few) modules?

   • Is the high-level program design independent of the computer and language that will implementat it?

3. Data Structures and Algorithms

   • Are all key algorithms and data objects described and justified?

   • Are the major data structures and algorithms hidden behind access routines?

4. Program Input/Output

   • Is the strategy for handling program input/output (I/O) clearly defined?

   • Are all aspects of the program GUI defined?

   • Is the GUI modularized so that changes to it won't affect other parts of the program?

5. Handling Program Errors

   • Is a coherent strategy for handling errors specified?

   • Does the handling of errors work well with the GUI?

Formal Design

1. GUI Design

   • Is the data input user-friendly?

   • Do the data fields come correctly initialized?

   • Is the output easy to read?

   • Do the components remain usable after the window has been resized?

   • Are all of the components visible on startup?

2. Exception Handling

   • Is there handling of bad integer ranges?

   • Is there handling of poor date?

   • Does the program provide instructions in the case of errors?

   • Is there handling when memory is not allocated?

3. Code Structure

   • Is the numerical code separated from the GUI code?

   • Is there only one copy of all data?

   • Are the rules of scope obeyed? (e.g., unknowning polymorphism?).

   • Is the code simple and easy to read?

4. Numerical Routines

   • Are the routines correct?

   • Does the code waste time needlessly on operations?

   • Does the code waste system resources (memory allocation)?

References

1. McConnell S., Code Complete, Microsoft Press, 1993.

Developed in April 1999 by Greg Walsh and Mark Austin
Copyright © 2001, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Maryland