Introduction:
SDLC is an abbreviation for Software Development Life Cycle. It is a process that provides a comprehensive understanding of the development, design, and maintenance of a software project by ensuring that all functionalities, as well as user requirements, objectives, and end goals, are handled. SDLC improves the quality of software projects and the whole software development process.
SDLC provides the following advantages for any software project:
- SDLC allows one to handle goals and problems so that the project is implemented with the greatest precision and accuracy possible.
- In SDLC, project members cannot move on until the previous steps have been completed and approved.
- Before entering the installation stage, any installation in the project that has been completed utilising the SDLC has undergone the requisite inspections.
- With a well-defined SDLC in place, project members can proceed with the software development process without interruption.
- SDLC provides optimal control with minimal difficulties, allowing project members to work efficiently.
Stages of SDLC:
Source: https://www.esds.co.in/blog/introduction-to-software-development-life-cycle-sdlc-phases-models/
There are five stages of SDLC namely:
- Requirement Gathering and Analysis
- Design
- Development
- Testing
- Deployment and Maintenance
- Requirement Analysis and Gathering: This is the first and most important step of an SDLC for the success of a software project. Communication occurs between stakeholders, end-users, and project teams during this phase, when both functional and non-functional needs are acquired from clients.
The SDLC Requirement Gathering & Analysis Phase entails the following tasks:
- Functionality and financial feasibility analysis
- Identifying and collecting stakeholder requirements through customer encounters like as interviews, questionnaires, and so on.
- Customer requirements must be clearly defined and documented in an SRS (Software Resource Specification Document) that includes all product requirements that must be developed.
- Making project prototypes to demonstrate to the end user how the project will look.
- Design: The architectural design for the project is proposed during the design phase of an SDLC based on the SRS Document criteria.
The SDLC Designing Phase entails the following tasks:
- Separation of system hardware and software needs.
- Creating the system architecture based on the requirements received
- Creating UML diagrams such as use cases, class diagrams, sequence diagrams, and activity diagrams.
- Development: The development phase is thought to be the longest in the SDLC. The actual project is created and built during this period.
The SDLC Development Phase includes the following activities:
- The actual code has been written.
- Unit testing is performed, which involves checking the code based on requirements and presenting it to a Business Analyst for further change.
- Testing: The testing approach is involved in almost every stage of the SDLC. However, the SDLC testing step refers to checking, reporting, and repairing any bugs/defects in the system. During this phase, the running system or project is moved to a test environment where various types of testing are carried out. This testing will continue until the project meets the quality requirements specified in the SRS document during the requirement collecting phase.
The following are included in the Testing Phase:
- Testing the entire system.
- Performing several types of tests in the system.
- Reporting and repairing all types of problems and deficiencies.
- Deployment and Maintenance: Once the system testing is completed during this SDLC phase, the system is ready to be launched. The system may be initially provided to a limited number of users after UAT (User Acceptance Testing) in a real-world business context.
The Deployment and Maintenance Phase includes the following tasks:
- The system is ready for use.
- The system has been installed and is in use.
- Errors that were previously overlooked are corrected.
- Improving the system within a data centre.
Conclusion:
The stages of a SDLC are of importance of building any software development project. These help in effective product development and much more. There are many models that use these fundamentals of the software development lifecycle.