SDLC or the Software Development Life Cycle is a process that produces software with the highest quality and lowest cost in the shortest time possible.
SDLC provides a well-structured flow of phases that help an organization to quickly produce high-quality software which is well-tested and ready for production use.
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In this blog, we are talking about why is software development life cycle important, what are the outcomes, and its main steps.
You find our approach to SDLF explaind by our Partnership Development manager, Jorge Mora, in this blog.
Why is the Software Development Life Cycle important?
Software development can be challenging to manage due to changing requirements, technology upgrades, and cross-functional collaboration.
The software development lifecycle (SDLC) methodology provides a systematic management framework with specific deliverables at every stage of the software development process.
As a result, all stakeholders agree on software development goals and requirements upfront and also have a plan to achieve those goals.
What is the outcome of doing a Software development Life Cycle?
When done right, the software development life cycle can provide teams with the highest level of documentation and management control.
Developers are more efficient because they are informed and guided on what they should create and why.
All concerned parties agree on the objective upfront and come up with a clear action plan for achieving that goal. Each stakeholder also understands the resources and costs required.
Stages of Software Development Life Cycle
The successful creation of software applications depends on the completion of each stage in the software development life cycle (SDLC).
These stages can vary a little depending on the software development approach, but generally speaking, they are:
1. Planning:
The planning stage needs a Requirements Gathering and 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.
The goal is to gain a complete understanding of what the software should do, what features it should have, and what problems it should solve.
This information is then used to plan the basic project approach and to conduct product feasibility study in the economical, operational and technical areas.
2. Design:
Once the requirements have been gathered, the software design stage begins.
The original plan and vision are elaborated into a software design document (SDD) that includes the system design, programming language, templates, platform to use, and application security measures.
This is also where you can flowchart how the software responds to user actions.
In most cases, the design phase will include the development of a prototype model. Creating a pre-production version of the product can give the team the opportunity to visualize what the product will look like and make changes without having to go through the hassle of rewriting code.
3. Implementation:
In the implementation stage, the design is translated into code.
This stage is typically broken down into smaller, more manageable tasks called sprints or iterations, which are developed by a team of developers.
Developers have to follow the coding guidelines described by their management and programming tools like compilers, interpreters, debuggers, etc. are used to develop and implement the code.
4. Testing:
The testing stage involves verifying that the software works as intended and meets the requirements.
Assessments entail the performance of functional testing: unit testing, code quality testing, integration testing, system testing, security testing, performance testing and acceptance testing, as well as nonfunctional testing.
If a defect is identified, developers are notified. Validated (actual) defects are resolved, and a new version of the software is produced.
The best method for ensuring that all tests are run regularly and reliably, is to implement automated testing. Continuous integration tools assist with this need.
5. Deployment
Software is released to end users after it has been tested and determined to be ready for use.
In this phase, the software is installed and made accessible for use on the end users' PCs or servers.
6. Maintenance:
The program is maintained after it has been deployed to make sure it keeps operating as planned. Updates, patches, and bug fixes are all considered maintenance.
There are several benefits to using the SDLC approach to software development. It ensures that all stakeholders are involved in the development process, that the software meets the requirements, and that it is delivered on time and within budget. It also helps to reduce the risk of project failure and increases the chances of success.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the software development life cycle is a process that outlines the steps involved in developing software applications.
It is a structured approach to software development that helps to ensure that the final product meets the needs of users and stakeholders while being delivered on time and within budget.