Software Development

There are multiple methods of software development but all share these common stages.

Analysis – stakeholders define their problem and state their requirements. This information is then analysed and researched
Design – aspects of the solution are designed including inputs, outputs, security features, hardware set-ups and user interfaces
Development – the design is split up into modules and assigned to developers
Testing – the program is tested using various methods
- Alpha testing – in house bug testing
- Beta testing – carried out from the end users, feedback is used further for development
- White box testing – dev teams test all possible states of the program
- Black box testing – the program is tested without the testers knowing the internal structure of the program
Implementation — the program is shipped to the end-users
Evaluation – the effectiveness of the software is evaluated against the requirements defined in analysis
Maintenance – any errors reported by users are fixed, and updates are developed

Waterfall lifecycle

This methodology is straightforward and well-defined. It is based on the series of stages defined above where each stage is done in order.

Agile methodologies

Agile methodologies are designed to adapt to changes in the requirements of a project. This usually involves building a prototype, gathering user feedback and then building a new prototype. The cycle repeats until the end user is satisfied with the software.

Extreme programming

This is an agile model where the development team consists of pair programmers as well as a representative end user. During paired programming, one codes while the other critiques, so the code is improved as it is written.

Spiral model

The spiral model is built on four main stages with the aim being on managing risk-heavy projects.

Analysing the system requirements
Determining and mitigating risks
Development and testing
Evaluating to inform the next iteration

Rapid application development (RAD)