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Jan 7, 20223 min read

What Are The Different Phases Of Software Development?



This software development process refers to the different phases of building software. When we talk about one stage, we mean all the activities and tasks to complete that particular phase successfully. The phases consist of:

Requirements Gathering: In this stage, user requirements are gathered mainly through interviews, workshops, and other team meetings.


Analysis: In this stage, the requirements analysis determines if the software meets the feasibility of requirements. The feasibility study includes a cost-benefit analysis as well as a risk analysis. This involves the usage of tools such as QFD, function point count etc.

Designing: In this stage, the structure of the proposed system is designed based on requirements gathering and analysis.

Developing: In this stage, implementation takes place. This includes coding any changes to meet design specifications and writing test cases for checking implementation functionality.

Testing: In this stage, the developed software is checked against the requirements and design specifications laid out in earlier stages.

Deploying: In this stage, the software is released for use. It may be deployed on a real-time production system or the development environment itself.

In a nutshell, all these phases are summarized as follows:

Requirements Gathering ⇒ Analysis ⇒ Designing ⇒ Developing ⇒ Testing ⇒ Deploying.


Different Types of Software Development Methods?


There are two major types of Software Development Methods, Waterfall Methodology and Agile Methodology.



Waterfall methodology can be defined as a sequential approach to application development. It is called a waterfall since it represents the flow of water falling from one level to another.


Waterfall development implies strict order in which the phases are completed. The waterfall methodology is known for its comparative stability and predictability. It’s easy to track the progress of projects when following the Waterfall Methodology since it follows a simple sequential flow of well-defined events. However, this might not be liked by some project managers or stakeholders.

The waterfall methodology is suitable for large scale projects that involve complicated procedures. It can also be used when the cost of changes in requirements during project development could be very high.

On the other hand, Agile Methodology can also be defined as an iterative and incremental approach to application development. It’s called agile because it focuses on establishing an initial design which is then iteratively improved upon.

The agile methodology can be used for small scale projects or projects involving requirements that are not entirely known at the beginning of the project. It’s suitable for small teams where frequent interaction with team members and clients is needed to progress a project.

The dynamic nature of Scrum allows re-prioritizing backlog items and adapting to changes that might be required during project development. The major drawback of agile methodology is that it does not provide any documentation for the developed application.


What Are The Different Tools Used In Software Development?


Following are some of the most commonly used software development tools:

Coding – Many programming languages are used for developing applications. Some of the most common ones include Java, C++, .Net (C# and VB), Python, JavaScript etc.

IDE – An IDE is a software application that provides all the features required to write computer programs such as debugging tools, text editor with auto-completion functionalities etc.

Version Control System: It is a tool for version controlling documents and other files. This helps keep track of different versions of the code being created by different developers on a project. Version control systems bring in many benefits such as undoing changes, reverting to older versions etc.

Issue Tracking System: An issue tracking system manages bugs and tasks. It helps track all the issues developers face during software development, their priority level and how long it would take to resolve each issue.

Testing Tools: Testing tools are used for testing applications while they are being developed. These tools help evaluate an application’s performance, detect errors, monitor the status of tests and control the distribution of test tasks.


Conclusion:

Software development is a process that transforms the requirements and specifications of an application into working, efficient and user-friendly software.

The Software Development Model defines the order in which all these phases should be completed while following a specific methodology such as Waterfall or Agile. Furthermore, it is essential to understand that each software development model has advantages and disadvantages depending on the application’s requirements.

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