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Minimal Documentation Argument

publish date: 2026/06/23 19:36:38.299903 UTC

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How does the problem of maintaining multiple representations of a system (requirements, design, code) relate to agile development philosophy?

It demonstrates that documentation should always be written before any code

It proves that agile development never produces any usable software

It is one of the arguments for minimal documentation, which is fundamental to agile development processes

It shows that only plan-based methods can avoid emergency fixes

Correct Answer

It is one of the arguments for minimal documentation, which is fundamental to agile development processes

Explanation

The problem of keeping multiple representations of a system (requirements, design, code) consistent over time, especially after emergency fixes, is one of the arguments for minimal documentation. This principle is fundamental to agile development, which favors working code over extensive documents that can drift out of sync.

Reference

Software Engineering, Ian Sommerville, 10th edition

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