Theory of Documentation

Introduction

This is an unnecessary analysis of computer information systems in which I act like I know what I'm talking about in an effort to make a much more precise documentation framework.

I have found that even if a system of documentation drives me personally insane--to those of whom it doesn't cause a mental state of dissociation--it still presents a significant challenge. When it comes to technical support of computer information systems oft times people don't know what exactly they are looking for and it is at this exact instance that a precise system of arrangement is most necessary: Otherwise the time-consuming process of creating documentation is wasted as the knowledge isn't actually put to efficient use.

Sets, classes, families, etc. are probably the most intuitive arrangement of systems as they follow from the fundamental thinking processes of the mind. Here I have come up with an informal model, although somewhat mathematical in nature, to address and classify every piece of the system in a more precisely ordered way.

Looking at this from the point of view of typical I.T. documentation it will seem rather unnecessary and abstract at first. Bear with me--I believe the analysis will result in a much more precise system. Then we can all find divinity.

Events of Things with Associated Actions

• Our universe is the set of things, in which each element is in certain state, as well as respective associated actions (operations) on, or performed by, those things.
  
  • Each state of a thing is a separate element--That is, things with multiple states are actually multiple elements of individual things, each in their own singular, certain state.
    
  • An action can be the change of state, or the cause of a change of state.
    
  • A thing has a separate state for each associated action it performs.
    
  • Multiple things can be associated with a single action as well as multiple actions with a single thing--things and actions can have n-way associations, where n is a positive integer.
    

• A sequence formed of a single thing with an associated action is called an event.
  
  • A sequence formed of multiple events using the shared associations of things or actions in each preceding or following event is called a sequence of events.
    
• The set of events that occur due to being caused by another event action are called secondary events.
  
  • Secondary events can also be called autonomous events with their respective things called autonomous actors.
• A contrary set of events that do not occur as the result of other events actions, are primary events.
  
  • The respective things in these primary events are called primary actors.
    
• Primary actors are the start of every sequence of events.
  
  • With this model people are typically the primary actors.
    

The computer information systems we are dealing with can be broken down into things, actions, events, sequences and actors.

Types of Actors

By building events from things and actions we are able to identify sequences of events and thus actors within these sequences. In actuality, primary actors aren't the result of our set building but the set building is precipitated out of the need to address the literal interaction of people (the primary actors) and computer information systems in a figurative model.

The types of actors are discerned by the role of the person causing the event. Furthermore, those sequences of events follow a classification order of which those roles follow from clear boundaries.

Functional Sequences of Events

Computer I.T. systems are put in place to serve the purposes the people. Primary actors aren't a result from the system.

Example: A person using a web browser to request a static web page from a remote server.

• There is a clear sequence of events in which the person begins as a primary actor.
• Some things in the sequence could be the web-browser, networking protocols, and the web-server daemon.
• Some actions include changing the web-browser state to requesting a page, causing a change of state in the various protocols, which in turn causes the web server to change to the state of responding with the specific page.
• Every event except the first consists of an autonomous actor

Each event with an autonomous actor is precisely defined in that there is a clear cause and result. The overall sequence of events also has clear cause and result and thus a mathematical notion comes into play as it is called (by me--the author acting knowledgeable) a functional sequence of events.