Principles of Detail Design - Essay Example

Clements et al differentiate architectural design from detailed design in a uniquely interesting way. He alluded that architecture could be defined as a form of design yet the reverse was not possible. The interpretation is that design is not within the realms of architecture since the end of any masterpiece can be manipulative. There is a close relation between detailed design, architecture and construction. From this, designers aiming for success in detailed design are obligated to have or obtain full understanding of the requirements and architecture of the system.

Proficiency in particular design strategies such as object-oriented, programming languages, and methods and processes for software quality control becomes a requirement. Detailed design acts as a bridge between design and code in the same way that architecture provides a link between requirements and design. When it comes to implementation, it can be debated that most problem solving activities occur in the detailed design phase. This can be demonstrated in the case where a formal process is followed, and the requirements are met by the detailed design and architecture.

In numerous real-world applications, intricate problem solving is deferred by the architectural design activity to the detailed design, predominantly through abstraction. In some instances, specifying requirements is also submitted to detailed design. In view of these reasons, detailed design has to assume the role of gatekeeper to ensure that the specification and design of the system are sufficiently completed even before construction begins. This can be particularly hard for large-scale systems built from scratch devoid of experience with the development of systems that are alike.

Tasks such as understanding the requirements and architecture, documenting software design, evaluating detailed designs, monitoring and controlling implementation, and creating detailed designs, become major factors in implementing detailed design activity. In contrast to software architecture, where the comprehensive set of conditions are assessed and well understood, detailed design activity calls for designers to focus on the requirements assigned to their explicit components. After understanding the architecture and requirements for allocated components, is when the detailed design of software modules can begin.

The components of detailed design include both behavioral and structural designs. This is demonstrated by the focus on interface design (which includes internal interface design and external interface design), graphical user interface design-which could be an extension of the designs started during architecture, and internal component design (both structural and behavioral), and data design. The Open-Closed principle (OCP) is a crucial principle for creating recyclable and adjustable systems that advance gracefully with time.

The key idea behind the OCP is that working code should remain untouched and any new additions should come as extensions of the original work. This does not mean that designs modification cannot occur; it means they should be done by incorporating new code