Re: GDB/XMI (XML Machine Interface)

[Chris Friesen <gdb001 at speakeasy dot net>]

The code is an implementation that doesn't convey the objectives or 
intent. Is that behavior a bug or feature in the code? It can be 
difficult to tell if there is not a description of what the code is 
supposed to do. The specification can set the objectives and intentions 
that define the bounds of the implementation, act as guidance for 
testing and other development. This is easier to do in writing than 
with code. A specification can be as specific or ambiguous as the 
writer desires, it's a balancing act depending on your needs.

Happy spec writing,
-ChrisF

On Aug 10, 2004, at 11:28 PM, Felix Lee wrote:

> Chris Friesen <gdb001@speakeasy.net>:
> > (The code is *not* the spec people...)
>
> code is usually less ambiguous than specs.  it's not clear to me
> that there's much point in making a spec for something that's
> likely to have only one implementation that will always have
> public source code.  well, isolating it as a spec should make
> some things easier, like the versioning issue.