Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: Written narrative (program or procedure narrative)
Explanation:
Introduction:
Understanding documentation types is essential in systems analysis and design. The question distinguishes a prose, stepwise description from diagrammatic or structural documentation.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
A written narrative describes logic and sequencing in natural language. Flowcharts provide visual logic. Record layouts define data fields. Logs track execution history or changes, not the logic itself.
Step-by-Step Solution:
1) Identify the artifact that uses continuous text to explain steps.
2) The narrative explains each action in order with conditions and exceptions.
3) Other documents serve different purposes: visuals, data definitions, or historical tracking.
Verification / Alternative check:
Standards in software documentation consistently place detailed prose descriptions in a program or procedure narrative section.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option B: Logs record events; they do not specify intended steps.
Option C: Flowcharts are graphical, not full prose descriptions.
Option D: Record layouts describe data structure, not procedure steps.
Option E: Incorrect because a narrative fits exactly.
Common Pitfalls:
Confusing “systems flowchart” with a complete textual description. Flowcharts summarize logic; narratives capture nuance and business rules.
Final Answer:
Written narrative (program or procedure narrative)
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