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Computer Model Documentation: a Review and an Approach

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Computer Model Documentation: a Review and an Approach NATL INST OF STANDARDS & TECH R.I.C. MCE & TECHNOLOGY A11 103089786 Qass, Saul I/Computer model documentatio QC100 .U57 NO.500-, 39, 1979 C.I NBS-PUB COMPUTER MODEL DOCUMENTATION: A REVIEW AND AN APPROACH }G 37 NBS Special Publication 500-39 ). 500-39 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Bureau of Standards 2 NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS The National Bureau of Standards' was established by an act of Congress March 3, 1901. The Bureau's overall goal is to strengthen and advance the Nation's science and technology and facilitate their effective application for public benefit. To this end, the Bureau conducts research and provides: (1) a basis for the Nation's physical measurement system, (2) scientific and technological services for industry and government, (3) a technical basis for equity in trade, and (4) technical services to promote public safety. The Bureau's technical work is performed by the National Measurement Laboratory, the National Engineering Laboratory, and the Institute for Computer Sciences and Technology. THE NATIONAL MEASUREMENT LABORATORY provides the national system of physical and chemical and materials measurement; coordinates the system with measurement systems of other nations and furnishes essential services leading to accurate and uniform physical and chemical measurement throughout the Nation's scientific community, industry, and commerce; conducts materials research leading to improved methods of measurement, standards, and data on the properties of materials needed by industry, commerce, educational institutions, and Government; provides advisory and research services to other Government Agencies; develops, produces, and distributes Standard Reference Materials; and provides calibration services. The Laboratory consists of the following centers: Absolute Physical Quantities^ — Radiation Research — Thermodynamics and Molecular Science — Analytical Chemistry — Materials Science. THE NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY provides technology and technical services to users in the public and private sectors to address national needs and to solve national problems in the public interest; conducts research in engineering and appUed science in support of objectives in these efforts; builds and maintains competence in the necessary disciplines required to carry out this research and technical service; develops engineering data and measurement capabilities; provides engineering measurement traceability services; develops test methods and proposes engineering standards and code changes; develops and proposes new engineering practices; and develops and improves mechanisms to transfer results of its research to the uthmate user. The Laboratory consists of the following centers: Applied Mathematics — Electronics and Electrical Engineering^ — Mechanical' Engineering and Process Technology^ — Building Technology — Fire Research — Consumer Product Technology — Field Methods. THE INSTITUTE FOR COMPUTER SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY conducts research and provides scientific and technical services to aid Federal Agencies in the selection, acquisition, application, and use of computer technology to improve effectiveness and economy in Government operations in accordance with PubHc Law 89-306 (40 U.S.C. 759), relevant Executive Orders, and other directives; carries out this mission by managing the Federal Information Processing Standards Program, developing Federal ADP standards guidelines, and managing Federal participation in ADP voluntary standardization activities; provides scientific and technological advisory services and assistance to Federal Agencies; and provides the technical foundation for computer-related policies of the Federal Government. The Institute consists of the following divisions: Systems and Software — Computer Systems Engineering — Information Technology. 'Headquarters and Laboratories at Gaithersburg, Maryland, unless otherwise noted; mailing address Washington, D.C. 20234. ^Some divisions within the center are located at Boulder, Colorado, 80303. The National Bureau of Standards was reorganized, effective April 9, 1978. JAN 3 0 1379 SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY: COMPUTER & ^^c. oo ^Computer Model Documentation: ^^r^ A Review and an Approach Saul I. Gass Consultant Potomac, Maryland Sponsored by the Institute for Computer Sciences and Technology National Bureau of Standards Washington, D.C. 20234 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, Juanita M. Kreps, Secretary Jordan J. Baruch, Assistant Secretary for Science and Technology NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS, Ernest Ambler, Director Issued February 1979 Reports on Computer Science and Technology The National Bureau of Standards has a special responsibility within the Federal Government for computer science and technology activities. The programs of the NBS Institute for Computer Sciences and Technology are designed to provide ADP standards, guidelines, and technical advisory services to improve the effectiveness of computer utilization in the Federal sector, and to perform appropriate research and development efforts as foundation for such activities and programs. This publication series will report these NBS efforts to the Federal computer community as well as to interested specialists in the academic and private sectors. Those wishing to receive notices of publications in this series should complete and return the form at the end of this publication. National Bureau of Standards Special Publication 500-39 Nat. Bur. Stand. (U.S.) Spec. Publ. 500-39, 89 pages (Feb. 1979) CODEN. XNBSAV Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Gass, Saul I Computer model documemation. (Computer science & technology) (NBS special publication ; 500-39) Supt.ofDocs.no.: CI 3. 10:500-39. 1. Electronic data processing documentation. I. Institute of Com- puter Sciences and Technology. II. Title. III. Series. IV. Series: United States. National Bureau of Standards. Special publication.; 500-39. QC100.U57 no. 500-39 [QA76.9.D6] 602Ms [001.474] 78-606146 U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON: 1979 For sale by the Superintendent of Dociunents, U.S. Government Printing Ofl5ce, Washington, D.C. 20402 Stock No. 003-003-02020-6 Price $2.75 (Add 25 percent additional for other than U.S. mailing). ABSTRACT Recent studies and surveys have concluded that, in general, the docu- ments produced to support the understanding and use of computer models are inadequate. This paper describes the issues and concerns of compu- ter model documentation and proposes an approach for the development of adequate documentation. First, a number of documentation studies and reports are reviewed, including software documentation guidelines and model documentation procedures. Then, based on the relationship between the phases of the model life cycle and documentation information needs, a set of documents is proposed and described. The author takes a highly critical view of the past and present inade- quate state of documentation procedures for computer models. The attention of computer model sponsors and developers must be directed to this area. Otherwise, the author feels, there will be an unfortunate decline in the use of decision models as aids in the analysis of important policy issues. The course of action recommended in this report is an extreme position as to the total information and number of docu- ments required to produce adequate documentation. The author calls for the capturing of all information generated during a model's life cycle. Further research is needed to adapt this extreme position to the reali- ties of cost, resources, model complexity, and model use. Key words: Computer; computer model; documentation; documentation procedures; model; model doc\imentation. NOTE: This document is the final report of a study conducted to provide background and planning information for a proposed program to develop standards for the management of government modeling. As a research result, it is published in its entirety. NBS neither accepts nor rejects the recommended approach to model documentation contained herein. Paul F. Roth, NBS Institute for Computer Sciences and Technology iii "But 'glory' doesn't mean 'a nice knockdown argument,'" Alice objected. "When I_ use a word," Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean--neither more or less." "The question is," said Alice, "whether you can make words mean so many different things." "The question is," said Humpty Dumpty, "which is to be master--that's all." Through the Looking-Glass Lewis Carroll "Everybody talks about documentation, but nobody does anything about it." Anonymous "You get what you pay for." Gabriel Biel iv CONTENTS Page Abstract . iii I. Prologue--A Short Play: "Is Documentation Documentation?" or "Quo Vadis Documentus?" 1 II. The Why of Model Documentation—Reflections After Reading Fifty-plus Documents on Documentation 1 III. The What of Model Documentation--Further Reflections 4 IV. Guidelines for Computer Program Documentation and Their Relationship to Model Documentation 6 V. Current Guidelines for Computer Model Documentation 21 VI. An Approach for the Development of Computer Model Documentation 29 References 40 APPENDIX A Elements of Computer Model Documentation A-1 APPENDIX B Guidelines for Preparing User, Programmer and Analyst Manuals of Computer Models . B-1 APPENDIX C Detailed Tables of Contents for User, Programmer and Analyst Manuals of Computer Models C-1 APPENDIX D Simulation: From Art to Science for Society D-1 V — . I. Pro1ogue--A Short Play: "Is Documentation Documentation?" or "Quo Vadis
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