Some of the types of things found in such documents might be:
Coding
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Naming conventions
Recommendations for a limit on number of params for a function
ANSI C compliant
Data structure design recommendations
Style
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- Standardization of data structures used in MPI-2 by all groups
- Ergonomics - guidelines for user-friendly interface
- Guidelines for common functions
- Grouping of functions into "toolbox" functions. This could
include functions that "edit".
- Organization of MPI function calls to insure minimized library builds -
This would allow a user to build libraries by functionality.
And there are many others. Two issues that affect success of
a product are software quality and user friendliness. If the
user has to invest too much time using the interface, despair sets
in, schedules slip and code becomes unmanageable. The balance
of a good R&D product with commercial guidelines usually
produces a friendlier, more easily manageable product. Any little
step that we can make in that direction is ok.
If we have "written" or implied guidelines, I would be glad to collect
them and create a document for all to review, comment & add.
Regards, Anna
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Anna Rounbehler
SKY Computer
rounbehler@sky.com