W3C

Checklist of Checkpoints for "QA Framework: Specification Guidelines"

This version:
http://www.w3.org/QA/WG/2003/08/qaframe-spec-checklist
This document is an appendix to:
http://www.w3.org/QA/WG/2003/08/qaframe-spec
Latest version of "QA Framework: Specification Guidelines":
http://www.w3.org/TR/qaframe-spec/
Editors:
Dominique Hazaël-Massieux (dom@w3.org)
Lofton Henderson (lofton@rockynet.com)
Contributors:
See Acknowledgments in QA Framework: Specification Guidelines.

Abstract

This document is an appendix QA Framework: Specification Guidelines [QAF-SPEC] . It provides a tabular checklist of all checkpoints from the specification guidelines, complete with their priorities. Please refer to QA Framework: Specification Guidelines [QAF-SPEC] for the full statement and description of the specification guidelines and checkpoints, as well as references to related documents and full credits and acknowledgements of contributors to the specification guidelines work.

Status of this document

This section describes the status of this document at the time of its publication. Other documents may supersede this document. The latest status of this document series is maintained at the W3C.

This document is derived from and is an appendix to QA Framework: Specification Guidelines [QAF-SPEC] , which document is a W3C Working Draft (WD), made available by the W3C Quality Assurance (QA) Activity for discussion by W3C members and other interested parties. For more information about the QA Activity, please see the QA Activity statement. Please see the "Status of this document" section of the corresponding specification guidelines [QAF-SPEC] , for complete details about the status of the specification guidelines version from which this is extracted and which it accompanies.

Please send comments to www-qa@w3.org, the publicly archived list of the QA Interest Group [QAIG]. Please note that any mail sent to this list will be publicly archived and available. Do not send information you wouldn't want to see distributed, such as private data.

Publication of this document does not imply endorsement by the W3C, its membership or its staff. This is a draft document and may be updated, replaced, or made obsolete by other documents at any time. It is inappropriate to use W3C Working Drafts as reference material or to cite them as other than "work in progress".

A list of current W3C Recommendations and other technical documents can be found at http://www.w3.org/TR.


Introduction

This checklist includes all checkpoints from the QA Framework: Specification Guidelines [QAF-SPEC] presented in a tabular format. The checkpoint priorities are included, and the order of the specification guidelines document is maintained.

The presentation is intended to be convenient for organizers and evaluators of QA projects in W3C Working Groups, to facilitate assessing specifications against the checkpoints. The table includes spaces for scoring each checkpoint, "yes" (satisfied), "no" (not satisfied), "n/a" (not applicable).

Priorities

For a description of the meaning of the priorities in the following table, please consult the conformance clause and the priorities definition section of the specification guidelines ([QAF-SPEC], chapter 4 and section 1.7) .

Checklist table

Guideline 1. Define Scope.

NbrCheckpointPriorityYesNoN/A
1.1

Include a scope statement

[Priority 1]   
1.2

Illustrate scope

[Priority 2]   
1.3

Illustrate functional details

[Priority 2]   

Guideline 2. Identify what needs to conform and how.

NbrCheckpointPriorityYesNoN/A
2.1

Identify classes of product.

[Priority 1]   
2.2

For each class of product, define the conformance requirements.

[Priority 1]   
2.3

Identify the applicable specification categories

[Priority 3]   
2.4

If there are several classes of products, define their relationships and interaction with other dimensions of variability.

[Priority 2]   

Guideline 3. Address the use of profiles, modules and levels to divide the technology.

NbrCheckpointPriorityYesNoN/A
3.1

Indicate whether or not the use of profiles is mandatory for conformance.

[Priority 1]   
3.2

If profiles are chosen, define any minimal requirements.

[Priority 2]   
3.3

If profiles are chosen, address rules for profiles.

[Priority 2]   
3.4

Define the relationships between profiles, modules, levels and other dimensions of variability

[Priority 2]   
3.5

If modules are chosen, indicate any mandatory conditions or constraints on their usage.

[Priority 1]   
3.6

If profiles, modules or levels are used, define their relationships and interaction with other dimensions of variability.

[Priority 2]   

Guideline 4. Identify the relation between deprecated features and conformance.

NbrCheckpointPriorityYesNoN/A
4.1

Identify each deprecated feature.

[Priority 1]   
4.2

For each class of product, specify the degree of support required for each deprecated feature and the conformance consequences of the deprecation.

[Priority 1]   
4.3

If deprecated features exist, define their relationships and interaction with other dimensions of variability.

[Priority 2]   
4.4

Include an explanation for the deprecation.

[Priority 3]   
4.5

Include examples to illustrate how to avoid using deprecated features.

[Priority 3]   
4.6

Identify each obsolete feature.

[Priority 3]   

Guideline 5. Define discretionary items.

NbrCheckpointPriorityYesNoN/A
5.1

State the circumstances for when discretionary items are allowed

[Priority 1]   
5.2

For implementation dependencies, address the allowable differences between implementations

[Priority 1]   
5.3

Indicate any constraints on the number of choices/options that can be implemented for discretionary choices

[Priority 2]   
5.4

Promote consistent handling of discretionary choices.

[Priority 2]   
5.5

If discretionary items are used, define their relationships and interaction with other dimensions of variability.

[Priority 2]   

Guideline 6. Allow extensions or not

NbrCheckpointPriorityYesNoN/A
6.1

Indicate if the specification is extensible, and if extensions are allowed, define their scope and constraints.

[Priority 1]   
6.2

Prevent extensions from contradicting the specification.

[Priority 1]   
6.3

Define a uniform mechanism to create an extension

[Priority 3]   
6.4

Require that extensions be published.

[Priority 3]   
6.5

Require that implementations provide interoperable alternatives to extensions

[Priority 3]   
6.6

If extensions are allowed, define their relationships and interaction with other dimensions of variability

[Priority 2]   

Guideline 7. Clearly identify conformance requirements.

NbrCheckpointPriorityYesNoN/A
7.1

Use conformance key words.

[Priority 1]   
7.2

Distinguish normative and informative content.

[Priority 1]   
7.3

Use consistent terminology.

[Priority 1]   
7.4

Provide a fast way to find conformance information

[Priority 2]   
7.5

Make normative reference to specifications on which the current specification depends

[Priority 1]   

Guideline 8. Specify a conformance policy.

NbrCheckpointPriorityYesNoN/A
8.1

Specify any universal requirements for minimum functionality.

[Priority 2]   
8.2

If special conformance concepts are used, include a definition in the specification.

[Priority 1]   
8.3

Justify any usage of a dimension of variability

[Priority 1]   
8.4

Include a conformance section.

[Priority 1]   
8.5

Identify and define all conformance designations.

[Priority 1]   

Guideline 9. Specify how to make conformance claims.

NbrCheckpointPriorityYesNoN/A
9.1

Provide specific wording of the claim.

[Priority 3]   
9.2

Provide a conformance disclaimer.

[Priority 3]   
9.3

Impose no restrictions about who can make a claim or where claims can be published.

[Priority 1]   
9.4

Provide an Implementation Conformance Statement proforma.

[Priority 3]   
9.5

Require the ICS be completed as part of the conformance claim.

[Priority 3]   

Guideline 10. Provide test assertions.

NbrCheckpointPriorityYesNoN/A
10.1

Provide test assertions

[Priority 2]   
10.2

Provide a mapping between the specification and the test assertions list

[Priority 2]   

References

QAF-SPEC
QA Framework: Specification Guidelines, D. Hazaël-Massieux, L. Henderson, L. Rosenthal, D. Dimitriadis, K. Gavrylyuk, Eds., W3C Working Draft, 23 May 2003, available at http://www.w3.org/QA/WG/2003/02/qaframe-spec-uun.