>>It seems from my observations that the trend not so many years ago was that the developer’s role had evolved to be, simply stated, a programmer. He/she received requirements and wrote code based on those requirements. There was a so-called “box” around the developer’s responsibilities. Now it looks to me that the trend has changed (in my opinion, for the better) where now more often the developer will work along with an analyst and learn the business on different levels. The developer may sit in on business meetings, perhaps even meet with clients.
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>>I’d like to hear some opinions from fellow developers on this subject.
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>>Thanks,
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>>Troy
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>Yes, sad but true. It's rare that I have the luxury of getting a spec and I'm increasingly expected to understand complex business practices of which I neither care about nor wish to focus on. I prefer to focus on the solution at hand and how best to build it. You don't see construction contractors getting asked to develop blueprints, do you?
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>Oh well, suppose we'd better get used to it.
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Jeff;

By the same token you do not see contractors construct a building without a blueprint!

I worked at a company where they had 6 Visual FoxPro programmers and the product had no written definition. There were no specs and each customer was promised some specific feature that they required. This was no small application as it had about 200 forms and over 300 tables. Have you ever seen the movie “Treasure of Sierra Madre”? There is a scene where the bandit says something like “Badge, what badge? I don’t need no stinking badge”! So, our lead programmer would say “Spec, what spec? I don’t need no stinking spec”! That would make us laugh but what a way to work!

Do you like to write code more than once because the “spec” was not defined? Where I now work requires a user defined spec, needs analysis, etc. If the user requirements are not defined in writing and signed off by all parties concerned the project will not be begun. As a consultant I require a written spec, create forms (screen shots) based upon user requirements and have the client sign off on what will be done. So as you can see I have been at both ends of the “spec” question. You do what you have to do but without a spec you may as well be in Hell as far as I am concerned!

Tom