The Development of a Documentation Mechanism for the Creation of Maintainable Information Systems Using Hypertext

Lesley A. Gardner

Department of Management Science and Information Systems, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand, email: l.gardner@auckland.ac.nz

Abstract

This paper describes the development of a hypermedia documentation mechanism for information systems development. The use of hypermedia as a software engineering tool for the creation of maintainable information systems has been extensively explored with significant findings. These developments led to the specification, creation and use of the Fully Integrated Environment for a Layered Development (FIELD) system. To supplement these investigations, a complex environmental control organization, the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads Authority, was used as a case study. The development of a prototype information system for the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads Authority is described, and the overall methodological implications for future information system development are discussed. It is postulated that the development of such a complex information system may be improved by this method of using hypermedia. This paper reports on the initial findings of this investigation and the appropriateness of these ideas for general application in the information systems development field.
 
 


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