Software Design Document Template

Software Design Document (SDD).md

Software Design Document (SDD)

1. Introduction

• Purpose: [Describe the purpose of this document. E.g., to define the design of the XYZ system.]
• Scope: [Summarize the system's objectives and what is in/out of scope.]
• Definitions and Acronyms: [List and define important terms.]
• References: [Link to related documents: requirements, API specs, etc.]

---

2. System Overview

• System Description: [High-level overview of the system.]
• Design Goals: [E.g., scalability, maintainability, security.]
• Architecture Summary: [Monolith, microservices, serverless, etc.]
• System Context Diagram:
  • Use Mermaid diagram here.
  • Example placeholder:

    # Add your system context diagram here
    

    Loading

---

3. Architectural Design

• System Architecture Diagram:
  • Use Mermaid diagram here.
• Component Breakdown:
  • • [Component 1]: [Responsibilities, interactions.]
  • • [Component 2]: [Responsibilities, interactions.]
• Technology Stack: [Languages, frameworks, databases.]
• Data Flow and Control Flow:
  • Use Mermaid sequence or flow diagrams here.

---

4. Detailed Design

For each module/component:

[Component Name]

• Responsibilities: [What does it do?]
• Interfaces/APIs:
  • Inputs: [Describe input data.]
  • Outputs: [Describe output data.]
  • Error Handling: [Describe approach.]
• Data Structures: [Key models/schemas.]
• Algorithms/Logic: [Design patterns or important logic.]
• State Management: [How is state handled?]

---

5. Database Design

• ER Diagram / Schema Diagram:
  • Use Mermaid ER diagram here.
• Tables/Collections: [Define each with fields and constraints.]
• Relationships: [Describe relationships between entities.]
• Migration Strategy: [If applicable.]

---

6. External Interfaces

• User Interface: [Mockups, UX notes.]
• External APIs: [Integrations and dependencies.]
• Hardware Interfaces: [If any.]
• Network Protocols/Communication:
  • [REST, GraphQL, gRPC, WebSockets, etc.]

---

7. Security Considerations

• Authentication: [Method used.]
• Authorization: [Role/permission models.]
• Data Protection: [Encryption, storage.]
• Compliance: [GDPR, HIPAA, etc.]
• Threat Model:
  • Use Mermaid diagram here if helpful.

---

8. Performance and Scalability

• Expected Load: [Requests per second, data volume.]
• Caching Strategy: [Describe caches used.]
• Database Optimization: [Indexes, partitioning.]
• Scaling Strategy: [Vertical/horizontal.]

---

9. Deployment Architecture

• Environments: [Dev, staging, production.]
• CI/CD Pipeline: [Tools and stages.]
• Infrastructure Diagram:
  • Use Mermaid diagram here.
• Cloud/Hosting: [AWS, GCP, Azure, etc.]
• Containerization/Orchestration: [Docker, Kubernetes.]

---

10. Testing Strategy

• Unit Testing: [Tools, coverage goals.]
• Integration Testing: [Approach and tools.]
• End-to-End Testing: [Scope and tools.]
• Quality Metrics: [Code coverage, linting, etc.]

---

11. Appendices

• Diagrams: [All referenced diagrams.]
• Glossary: [Terms and definitions.]
• Change History:
  • [Version, Date, Author, Changes]

---

Tip: Use Mermaid diagrams throughout to make architecture, data flow, and interfaces clear and easy to maintain.