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Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

What is the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

The software development life cycle (SDLC) is a framework defining tasks performed at each step in the software development process. SDLC is a structure followed by a development team within the software organization. It consists of a detailed plan describing how to develop, maintain and replace specific software. The life cycle defines a methodology for improving the quality of software and the overall development process. The software development life cycle is also known as the software development process.[1]


The Stages of Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC)[2]

A typical Software Development life cycle consists of the following stages: (see diagram below)

  • Stage 1: Planning and Requirement Analysis: Requirement analysis is the most important and fundamental stage in SDLC. It is performed by the senior members of the team with inputs from the customer, the sales department, market surveys, and domain experts in the industry. This information is then used to plan the basic project approach and to conduct a product feasibility study in the economical, operational, and technical areas. Planning for the quality assurance requirements and identification of the risks associated with the project is also done in the planning stage. The outcome of the technical feasibility study is to define the various technical approaches that can be followed to implement the project successfully with minimum risks.
  • Stage 2: Defining Requirements: Once the requirement analysis is done the next step is to clearly define and document the product requirements and get them approved by the customer or the market analysts. This is done through the SRS (Software Requirement Specification) document which consists of all the product requirements to be designed and developed during the project life cycle.
  • Stage 3: Designing the product architecture: SRS is the reference for product architects to come out with the best architecture for the product to be developed. Based on the requirements specified in SRS, usually, more than one design approach for the product architecture is proposed and documented in a DDS - Design Document Specification. This DDS is reviewed by all the important stakeholders and based on various parameters such as risk assessment, product robustness, design modularity, budget, and time constraints, the best design approach is selected for the product. A design approach clearly defines all the architectural modules of the product along with its communication and data flow representation with the external and third-party modules (if any). The internal design of all the modules of the proposed architecture should be clearly defined with the minutest of details in DDS.
  • Stage 4: Building or Developing the Product: In this stage of SDLC the actual development starts and the product is built. The programming code is generated as per DDS during this stage. If the design is performed in a detailed and organized manner, code generation can be accomplished without much hassle. Developers have to follow the coding guidelines defined by their organization and programming tools like compilers, interpreters, debuggers, etc are used to generate the code. Different high-level programming languages such as C, C++, Pascal, Java, and PHP are used for coding. The programming language is chosen with respect to the type of software being developed.
  • Stage 5: Testing the Product: This stage is usually a subset of all the stages as in the modern SDLC models, the testing activities are mostly involved in all the stages of SDLC. However, this stage refers to the testing-only stage of the product where products defects are reported, tracked, fixed, and retested, until the product reaches the quality standards defined in the SRS.
  • Stage 6: Deployment in the Market and Maintenance: Once the product is tested and ready to be deployed it is released formally in the appropriate market. Sometimes product deployment happens in stages as per the organization's business strategy. The product may first be released in a limited segment and tested in the real business environment (UAT- User acceptance testing).

Then based on the feedback, the product may be released as it is or with suggested enhancements in the targeting market segment. After the product is released in the market, its maintenance is done for the existing customer base.


Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)
source: TutorialsPoint


SDLC Models and Methodologies[3]

The software development models are the various processes or methodologies that are being selected for the development of the project depending on the project’s aims and goals. There are many development life cycle models that have been developed in order to achieve different required objectives. The models specify the various stages of the process and the order in which they are carried out. The selection of the model has a very high impact on the testing that is carried out. It will define the what, where, and when of our planned testing, influence regression testing, and largely determines which test techniques to use. There are various Software development models or methodologies. They are as follows:

  • Waterfall model
  • V model
  • Incremental model
  • RAD model
  • Agile model
  • Iterative model
  • Spiral model
  • Prototype model

Choosing the right model for developing the software product or application is very important. Based on the model the development and testing processes are carried out.


Benefits of the SDLC Process[4]

The intent of an SDLC process is to help produce a product that is cost-efficient, effective, and of high quality. Once an application is created, the SDLC maps the proper deployment and decommissioning of the software once it becomes a legacy. The SDLC methodology usually contains the following stages: Analysis (requirements and design), construction, testing, release, and maintenance (response).


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