The model becomes the software, the model becomes the docs?

Subject: The model becomes the software, the model becomes the docs?
From: Ned Bedinger <doc -at- edwordsmith -dot- com>
To: Techwr-L List <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2007 12:37:44 -0700

These guys seem to be making computers more intuitive:

http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,2100538,00.asp

So I wonder, if the model becomes the software, couldn't it become the
documentation too?

Anyway, as tech writer, I think I could work with 90% less SME time
required if I had a self-documenting model to work from.

Recall that UML was going to tie documentation to models, by having
everything in the model self-documenting--just query anything to see its
own explanation of what it does.

Self-documenting code (like javadocs) is supposed to do something
similar for the documentation of programming code, and techwr-l gets an
occasional comment confirming that this can work, so why not
self-documenting models?

Does anyone work with a dev team that thinks adding documentary
explanations to the model components is a bridge for the tech writers?

Ned Bedinger
doc -at- edwordsmith -dot- com
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