[Year 12 Its] Re: Internal documentation

Sat May 21 12:30:14 EST 2005

Hi folks, sorry to drop in at this late stage, but the interpretation of 
primary and secondary data I put to my students, was that the data had to be 
first interpretted as having a purpose to aid decision making. In other 
words primary data was collected data that was not in a form that aided the 
decision makers directly, but after being processed in a certain way, and 
could then be called secondary data, it is was in state to aid decision 
making. 

Hence what might be primary data to some people, could be secondary to to 
others. 

For example the synoptic weather chart in the newspaper may be secondary 
data to a family deciding whether to go the beach tomorrow, but for a farmer 
deciding on when to plant crops, the same chart may be considered primary 
data, as many of them may need to be collected and processed before the 
farmer can decide what to do. 

So unless the primary and secondary notion is placed in a context that makes 
these distinctions clearly apparent then no end of confusion will result. 

Cheers,
Rob Ward
ICT and Electronics
Curriculum Coordinator
Lakes Entrance Secondary College 

Kevork Krozian writes: 

> Hi Robert, 
> 
> Regrettably no such definitions exist for primary and secondary data and 
> should be added for future reference as the logical conclusion to our 
> rather long thread !! 
> 
> Kevork Krozian
> Mailing List Creator and Administrator
> kevork at edulists.com.au
> www.edulists.com.au
> Tel: 0419 356 034
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Robert Timmer-Arends" 
> <timmer at melbpc.org.au>
> To: "Year 12 Information Technology Systems Teachers' Mailing List" 
> <is at edulists.com.au>
> Sent: Friday, May 20, 2005 6:30 PM
> Subject: Re: [Year 12 Its] Internal documentation 
> 
> 
>> Well spotted Kevork 
>> 
>> and a timely reminder that when it comes to definitions the study design
>> gloassary is the bible - assuming of course that the term is in it! 
>> 
>> Regards
>> Robert T-A
>> Brighton SC 
>> 
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Kevork Krozian" <Kroset at novell1.fhc.vic.edu.au>
>> To: <is at edulists.com.au>
>> Sent: Friday, May 20, 2005 4:21 PM
>> Subject: Re: [Year 12 Its] Internal documentation 
>> 
>> 
>>> Hi folks, 
>>> 
>>>  Just thumbing through the Study Design Glossary p82 - 84 
>>> 
>>> Internal documentation : " Comments written into program code to explain
>> variables, procedures, methods. Well documented code assists future
>> programmers to update the program".
>>> 
>>> External documentation: " Instructions for technical operators and
>> end-users of software. Technical documentation includes: specifications 
>> and
>> capabilities of the equipment, instructions about how to maintain and 
>> update
>> software functions, disaster recovery, and a troubleshooting guide. 
>> End-user
>> documentation may include a training manual and /or tutorial, quick help
>> guide, "how to" manual, troubleshooting guide.  The instructions may be 
>> in
>> one or a combination of forms such as hard copy  printed material, 
>> computer
>> tutorials, on-screen help screens, Internet links to help sites. See also
>> System Support Documentation.
>>> 
>>>   Based on the Study Design definitions , the Help screens would be
>> external documentation John.
>>> Hope this helps. 
>>> 
>>> Best Wishes
>>> Kevork 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> >>> timmer at melbpc.org.au 05/19/05 07:57pm >>>
>>> I agree with Barry and Allan. Just becuase 'help' can come as part of 
>>> the
>>> software package does not make it internal documentation. Traditionally,
>>> internal documentation has meant that documentation that is embedded 
>>> with
>>> the code (comments, descriptive names, use of indentation...) and is
>>> intended to help in the maintenance of the program, not its use. I guess
>> it
>>> has become a bit blurred with 'programmable' application software such 
>>> as
>>> spreadsheets and dbs but I think the principle still stands: internal
>>> documentation is there to help in the maintenance of the 'solution', not
>> in
>>> its use. 
>>> 
>>> Regards
>>> Robert T-A
>>> Brighton SC 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "john edwards" <john.edwards at gippslandgs.vic.edu.au>
>>> To: <is at edulists.com.au>
>>> Sent: Thursday, May 19, 2005 2:42 PM
>>> Subject: [Year 12 Its] Internal documentation 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> > Hi All,
>>> >
>>> > I have a quick question regarding documentation.
>>> >
>>> > I have told my class that internal documentation consists of comments
>>> within the coding and the documenting of variables and the like so that
>>> their names form documentation (extrinsic and intrinsic).
>>> >
>>> > My question is whether, Help that comes with a software package like
>> Word
>>> or Excel, is considered internal or external. The Help itself must form
>> part
>>> of the software so does that mean it is internal or since it is 
>>> available
>>> only at run time is it considered external?
>>> >
>>> > Any assistance would be appreciated.
>>> >
>>> > Cheers,
>>> >
>>> > John Edwards
>>> > Gippsland Grammar School
>>> > Sale
>>> >
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>> IT Systems Mailing List kindly supported by
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