Documenting an application?

[nws]

Can anyone point me in the direction of some best practices for documenting an application? Right now we are documenting each cube, the dlists that it consists of, and the in/out/internal dlinks that are part of it. This is done with screen shots and print previews of the different pieces inserted into a word document.
Is there any better way to generate better documentation from within the application?

[ovo]

You should take a look at the model review tool.   It gives you a nice output in the form of an HTML report which covers much of what you want:

http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?rs=3449&uid=swg24024994

[branko]

Hi,

the "Cognos 8 Planning Model Review Tool" mentioned here could be fine but IMHO just for the contributor applications (it does not help you with the analyst & manager solution documentation). As far as i know there is no tool automating & helping with the analyst & manager solution documentation. But what would I use & try is to combine the :

for Analyst :

- for general information about the solution : print information about libraries, users, rights (File - Maintain Libraries & Users - and for each tab you have the possibility to press "print table" button - which generates a good overview of libraries, users and rights...

- for information about the objects : File - Library - Objects (selec required object e.g. all the d-list, group of cubes, a link, several macros, all the objects within the library or all the object within all the libraries - which will automatically create nowadays "the best on the market :-)" documentation of these object (including lots of usefull info. - e.g. not only the list of items within a d-list, but also their properties, calculations...

for Manager :

- besides using info. mentioned in the "Analyst" part I would build a Flowchart (with some notes - if necessary) / several flowchart - which is actually IMO a good way how to dynamically create an overview about the solution, its parts and moreover - it is dynamic, up-to-date and a part of the solution so would be used much more often by users....

So, these could be the basis of the Analyst & Manager solution documentation...