Pre-During-After Software Development Documentation (PDA-SDD): A Phase-Based Approach for Comprehensive Software Documentation in Modern Development Paradigms

Persistent challenges in software documentation, particularly limitations in generality, simplicity, and efficiency of existing models, impede effective software development. To address these, this research proposes a novel phase-based and holistic software documentation model (PDA-SDD). This model was subsequently evaluated using a digital questionnaire distributed to 150 software development and documentation experts, achieving a 48% response rate (n = 72). The evaluation focused on assessing the proposed model’s generality, simplicity, and efficiency. Findings indicate that while certain sub-models (e.g., SRSD, RLD) were positively received across all criteria and the overall model demonstrated strong perceived generality and efficiency in specific aspects, areas for improvement were identified, particularly regarding terminological consistency and user-friendliness. This study contributes to the understanding of the complexities in achieving a universally effective software documentation model and highlights key considerations for future research and development in this critical area of software engineering.