Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)
Let’s assume you are new to the term but are familiar with the process, let us define SDLC.
What exactly is the software development life cycle?
The Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is a structured process for producing high-quality, low-cost software in the shortest amount of time. The SDLC’s goal is to create excellent software that meets and exceeds all customer expectations and demands.
Why is it important to use an SDLC?
The SDLC is important because it ensures that the appropriate people are involved in the appropriate activities at the appropriate times. A well-defined SDLC also allows you to track your progress in relation to your objectives and ensure that everything is on track.
Every Software development life cycle model has the following 7 stages:
1. Requirements & Analysis
This is the first and most important stage of SDLC. To create a Business Specification (BS) document, business analysts gather requirements from their customers, target market, and industry experts. Other organizations and teams may refer to this document as Customer Requirement Specification(CRS).
This document aims to outline current pain points that developers should work to eliminate using the software. It can be a valuable resource in assisting the team in discovering new and innovative ways to change and improve their products.
The document is distributed to the development team, who will use it in the next stage.
2. Project Planning
Senior development team members plan a software development project using the Business Specification document and the input of stakeholders and experts. The project could be focused on developing a new software product or on improving an existing one.
During this initial development stage, team members collaborate to discuss and plan:
- Intentions behind the project
- Requirements of the project
- Anticipated issues
- Opportunities
- Risks
A Software Requirement Specification (SRS) document contains all of these elements. Team members can ensure that their software projects are getting the attention they deserve by outlining the points above.
3. Design
This stage focuses on product design. It involves product architects and developers who will conceptualize and present a product design. They may present multiple design approaches, which are documented in a Design Document Specification (DDS).
The DDS will be a critical component of the production process (Stage 4), as developers will rely on it as their primary source of code. Developers must also refer back to the SRS document (from Stage 2) to ensure that the product’s design protects the team from the previously mentioned issues and risks.
4. Coding & Implementation
Production begins and the product is developed in Stage 4. The programming code is written in accordance with the DDS (Stage 3) so that the product can be created as efficiently as possible. To create code, developers employ a variety of tools and programming languages. These are chosen based on the requirements of the software under development.
5. Testing
The development team tests the software for errors and deficiencies in stage 5. Is the software producing accurate results? Does it fulfill the requirements and objectives outlined in the SDLC? These are some key questions that may be raised during the testing phase.
Some teams will test the software manually while others will use automated testing tools. Whatever path they choose, the testing process should ensure that each unit of the software functions properly. Following testing, the software should go through a quality assurance (QA) process to validate the product’s quality.
6. Deployment
The software is delivered to the customer after it has been tested and validated. Generally, deployment engineers are involved in this stage, as they make software available to customers. They may install the software in a business and/or support individual customers in running the application on their computers.
7. Maintenance
Because the usage of a software product varies from customer to customer (each person has different needs), there may be unique issues that arise and must be addressed. During the maintenance stage, these customer issues are resolved.
To reduce the amount of maintenance required, teams may choose to release the product to a smaller population of customers first. This can provide an understanding of how the product is performing, allowing the development teams to make any final changes before the product’s final release.
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