Function

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A function is part of an answer to a question about why some object or process occurs in a system that was designed with some goal. Thus, function refers forward from the object or process, along some chain of causation to the goal. In contrast, mechanism looks backward along a chain of causation. This meaning parallels that in biology, with the goal replaced by fitness (biology) (see Function (biology)).

In engineering, a function is frequently interpreted as a specific process, action or task that a system is designed to perform ^[1].

In engineering design

In the lifecycle of engineering projects, there are usually distinguished subsequently: Requirements and Functional specification documents. The Requirements usually specifies the most important attributes of the requested system, and "The Functional Specification defines what the functionality will be, but not yet how that functionality will be implemented. "( Functional Specification from the EPRI Institute Portal), and the next Design Specification document describes physical or software processes and systems which are the requested functions.

There are distinguished internal and external system functions. From an external observer perspective, the services offered by an engineering system to its users can be considered as external functions ( A.M. Gadomski,1988). The others are called system internal functions.

References

See also

• Process
• System
• Utility

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