K11: software designs and functional or technical specifications
| Assessment Method | Pass | Distinction |
|---|---|---|
| Work-based project | Reviews methods of software design with reference to functional/technical specifications and applies a justified approach to software development (K11, S11, S12) | NA |
Demonstrating knowledge of software designs and functional or technical specifications means showcasing an understanding of the processes and artifacts involved in designing and documenting software systems. Let's break down each aspect:
- Software Designs: This refers to the overall architectural and structural plans for developing software. It involves creating a blueprint or a high-level representation of how the different components of a software system interact and work together to achieve the desired functionality. Software designs may include concepts such as system architecture, modules, interfaces, data structures, algorithms, and design patterns.
To demonstrate knowledge of software designs, an apprentice software developer should be able to:
- Understand and apply various architectural styles and patterns (e.g., layered architecture, microservices architecture).
- Create or interpret design diagrams, such as UML (Unified Modeling Language) diagrams, flowcharts, or entity-relationship diagrams, to illustrate the structure and relationships within a system.
- Discuss the trade-offs and considerations involved in choosing a particular design approach.
- Explain how the design decisions align with the requirements and objectives of the software project.
- Functional Specifications: These define the behavior and functionality expected from a software system. They describe what the software should do, how it should respond to different inputs or events, and any constraints or business rules it must adhere to. Functional specifications serve as a bridge between the requirements gathered from stakeholders and the actual implementation of the software.
To demonstrate knowledge of functional specifications, an apprentice software developer should be able to:
- Understand the process of gathering requirements and translating them into functional specifications.
- Write clear and unambiguous functional requirements that capture the desired behavior of the software.
- Identify use cases or user stories that describe different interactions and scenarios the software should support.
- Document any assumptions or constraints related to the functionality.
- Validate and review functional specifications with stakeholders to ensure they accurately represent their needs.
- Technical Specifications: These provide detailed information about how the software should be implemented from a technical standpoint. They cover aspects such as data structures, algorithms, interfaces, protocols, database schemas, performance requirements, and any specific programming languages or frameworks to be used.
To demonstrate knowledge of technical specifications, an apprentice software developer should be able to:
- Understand how to translate high-level designs into specific technical specifications.
- Define and document the data structures and algorithms required to implement the desired functionality.
- Specify any external system interfaces or APIs that need to be integrated into the software.
- Consider non-functional requirements, such as performance, scalability, security, and maintainability, and document the corresponding specifications.
- Provide guidelines or best practices for coding standards, error handling, and exception handling.
To demonstrate knowledge of software designs and functional or technical specifications, an apprentice software developer should showcase their understanding of designing software systems, creating clear and comprehensive functional specifications, and providing detailed technical specifications that guide the implementation process.