Every product that has ever been developed in the history of humankind had to go through different development stages. Whether a simple wheel or a sophisticated telephone, every product underwent a cycle of trials and errors. And once the product affirmed its integrity to its developers, it was presented to the world.
Likewise, every software product goes through these phases of continuous testing, trial, and error. Throughout this testing process, developers meticulously look at each step of the software development life cycle. They do this to ensure that the final product they deliver is secure from all aspects and has been built according to their client’s desires. And although this process of software development may not sound so important, it is the backbone of the whole process. Through this article, we will try to explain this software development life cycle while looking at each of its different phases.
So, what exactly is the software development life cycle?
To begin with, you should know that the software development life cycle (or sdlc as it is known in the tech world) is a method that defines various processes regarding the creation of top-quality software products. In this regard, SDLC focuses on the following major phases of the software development life cycle:
- Requirement analysis
- Planning
- Software design and development
- Testing and deployment of the product
What is the Aim of SDLC?
The primary aim of an SDLC is to develop a top-notch software product in the shortest possible time but with reduced costs. For this purpose, every SDLC consists of six phases, and each phase is well-integrated with different components of this development process. https://bekey.io/ helps any software development company quickly produce high-quality and tested software that its clients can use.
What are the Popular SDLC Models?
Different types of SDLC models are followed across the world. Among these, some of the most popular are:
- The agile model: This model classifies products into separate cycles and delivers the final working product in a short period. However, one of the significant drawbacks of the agile method is that it relies too much on customer interaction. This approach, thus, can create several backlogs in the project and take it into a completely different trajectory.
- The waterfall model: It is the oldest SDLC model. The SDLC teams working according to this model must complete one phase before moving on to the next. The biggest disadvantage of the waterfall model is that leaving any small details can halt the entire product development process.
- DevOps: The DevOps methodology is quite a popular one. It offers a combination of continuous product delivery while maintaining a high quality of the delivered software product.
- The spiral model: The spiral model takes on a repetitive approach. Teams working under this model must go through planning, designing, building, and testing phases repeatedly. During this time, they keep improving in these phases wherever they find a loophole.
What is the Primary Method of Software Production with SDLC?
The software production method with SDLC can be broken down as follows:
- First, SDLC devises a plan using which it aims to eradicate any blocks in the workflow that are commonly found in software development projects. For this purpose, sdlc thoroughly evaluates the existing systems for any deficiencies.
- The SDLC also explains the requirements of the new system it will work in. Afterwards, the software development takes place through various stages of analysis, planning, design, development, testing, and finally, the deployment of the product.
In this scenario, the most worth-mentioning advantage of SDLC is that it anticipates all the costly mistakes beforehand in the project. By doing this, it gets rid of all the reworking and after-development fixes.
Here, it Is also worth noting that the most excellent focus of SDLC is on the testing phase. This is because SDLC must ensure code quality at every development phase as a repetitive software development methodology. Again, this strong emphasis on the testing phase prevents SDLC teams from resisting working while conserving their time and resources.
Learning About the Six Phases of SDLC Development
Identification of the Present Problems
Any SDLC project begins by taking all stakeholders on board and working together to identify any current problems. Stakeholders can include clients, sales representatives, management rams, industrial experts, and programmers. Together, they work and look for the strengths and weaknesses of their current system with the intent of improving it further.
Planning
During this phase of SDLC, the development team determines the costs and required resources for implementing the requirements it analyzed in the first phase. During planning, a great deal is made about detailing the involved risks while providing advice on their culmination simultaneously. Thus, it can be said that during the planning phase, the development team determines their project’s feasibility and how they can implement it with the slightest chance of risks occurring.
The Designing Phase
This phase determines how the development team can build its desired software product. This phase begins by converting software specs into a design plan, known as a design specification. This design plan is reviewed by all stakeholders involved in the process, and they provide the development team with their suggestions and relevant feedback. The design phase is crucial for software development because, in case of a failure, the whole project will have to bear cost overruns or, in the worst-case scenario, a full-fledged project failure.
The Building Phase
The actual software development starts from this phase. During this phase, it must be ensured that all the developers strictly adhere to the agreed blueprint of the project. They should also be informed of all the required guidelines, methodologies, and practices required for the successful completion of the project.
The Code Testing Phase
Once the product has been developed, it should be put to the test and trial. Through these series of trials, any deficiencies or defects are detected. Then, the team tries to fix them until the product becomes compatible with the client’s requirements.
The Software Deployment Phase
This phase concerns the deployment of the built software for the client. To play safe, many developers prefer deployment of this product across different environments (e.g. testing and deploying environments). By doing this, they can check the product’s integrity and its ability to withstand different environments. Once done, the product is released to the client or into the market.
Benefits of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)
If done properly, SDLC can be very beneficial for both the developers and their clients. Some of its such benefits include:
- Proper managerial control over the process with detailed documentation
- Precise planning that must be agreed upon beforehand by all the parties involved
- A complete understanding of all the required resources and proper cost management for the project
Conclusion
Although the SDLC development method is very resilient and beneficial for software development teams, its true potential can only be achieved if all the needs of customers and involved stakeholders are considered thoroughly. If the developers are unable to do so, they can transform their SDLC plan into a complete roadblock that will do nothing except waste their time, energy, and valuable resources.
