| help system | does not explain all the details at once but gives the user an outline of the most important things he or she needs to know, with the opportunity to click on links that provide additional details |  |
| is a subtopic of 7.5 - Usability Principles | |
| is a kind of software system | |
| must be accurate and up-to-date | |
| must be easily searchable | |
| provides help performing the steps of a task | |
| should be easy to understand | |
| should be fast to access | |
| should be integrated with the application, making it context sensitive | |
| should explain error messages | |
| should not increase user's frustration | |
| software system | becomes complex because it is easy to add new features and because software engineers typically add features without fully understanding a system, which may not have been originally designed to accommodate the features | |
| can automate business process | |
| can be divided in many ways: | |
| is typically initially developed as a prototype | |
| must have well-described requirements if other systems or subsystems are going to use its services or communicate with it | |
| should be designed for flexibility right from the start | |
| undergoes evolution over its life-span | |
| system | can have specification which is then implemented by a collection of components | |
| exists even if its components change over the course of time, or are replaced by equivalent components | |
| has scope | |
| has part component | |
| has part hardware | |
| has part module | |
| has part software | |
| has part subsystem | |
| is divided up into subsystems | |
Object Oriented Software Engineering View all facts Glossary Help
