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In daily research and development work, we often encounter some specifications. Code specification, code submission log specification, test process specification, version number specification, etc.

These specifications are very close to us and affect different links in the r&d process. Due to my work, I am also responsible for or involved in the formulation and release of some specifications, which are now applied in different stages of the R&D process.

Sometimes I wonder why there should be norms, what is the value of norms, why should there be norms in the process of research and development?

Here are seven of them

  1. Normative formulation is based on a certain historical background, to solve specific problems as the goal. The specification conforms to the needs of most students in the current team, and the content in the specification has the reasons and logical relations behind it.
  2. Standard is a standard, this standard is suitable for a certain group of people, adapt to a specific process. Beyond this group of people or process, the norms are different. The same specification item is understood differently by different roles.
  3. The specification is the baseline, and parts of the specification below that line are not usually a problem, but can be a problem in certain scenarios. But if you develop a habit, it will work in close-up scenes.
  4. The communication efficiency of norms is high, the content conveyed is stable, and the solutions to specific problems can be regarded as experience in the mind of individuals. The experience is proved by various parties and forms rules, which can be quickly retrieved and spread by publishing in the form of text or rich media. There is no need to repeat the explanation for the change of team personnel and the increase of new people.
  5. The specification is the product of the successive optimization, which specification should be set, the applicable scope of the specification, how many nodes can be split within this scope, what rules should be followed by each node, each node can also have child nodes, the importance of each node, the level of rules, the example of rules and so on.
  6. Specifications in the development process, is generally a number of people to participate in the completion, after several rounds of audit, trial release will be officially released. After the specification is published, it needs to be continuously optimized and updated so that the value of the specification can be sustained.
  7. In the research and development process, the specification can be the standard guiding the collaboration between human and machine, or the standard guiding the collaboration between human and machine. This depends on applying the specification to team collaboration and human-computer interaction processes.

At the same time, the specification has three core characteristics: 1) descriptive; 2) implementability; 3) detectability;

  • Descriptive: refers to the content of the current agreement, which can be described through words or other carriers, transmitted through language or media, and can be understood by people in the applicable scope. The boundary is not clear, the definition is not clear, the agreement is not precise, even if the description is clear, to different people’s understanding is different. Here descriptive means the specification of precise description;
  • Enforceability: It means that the specification must be used in the daily work of the team, which can be targeted at a part of the population, or applicable to a certain stage of work. If a specification has theoretical significance but cannot be applied to specific work, it will be difficult to implement, or it will not be enforceable.
  • Detectability: in the application process of the specification, the good or bad performance of each relevant person can be detected; For the specification customization can be hierarchical agreement, can also be in the specification for example, good cases and bad cases.

If one of these three characteristics is not present, then the current established convention cannot be called a specification, and even if the specification is established, there will be some resistance in the process of advancing, until the three characteristics are determined, and the specification will work naturally.

In summary, norms are stated standards that are formulated by a group of people to solve a specific or set of problems; The standard is applicable to the population and guides the working method in their particular scenarios. Specification formulation is only the beginning, implementation is the key, in the process of promoting the implementation of the specification, the optimization of the specification will be adjusted according to the need, from the specification to the abolishment, is destined to be a continuous tuning process.

Other reference

  • [Thinking about the process of architecture Optimization] Quality over efficiency
  • Avoid random trial and error
  • [Thinking on the process of architecture optimization] Continuous technological innovation
  • [Thinking about the process of architecture Optimization] the value of specifications in R&D work
  • Summary of componentization benefits of R&D process
  • [Thinking about the process of architecture optimization] It is better to determine things by people than by people
  • Five key points of CR
  • Three dimensions of technical solution evaluation
  • The meaning of communication
  • [Thinking on the process of architecture optimization] Platform ecology is given priority
  • [Thinking on the process of architecture optimization] The sorting principle of technical requirements