Software Development Life Cycle

What is SDLC?

Software Development Life Cycle or SDLC is a set of processes usually employed by IT industry for designing, developing, and testing a high quality software product/system. It consists of several clearly stated working stages which software developers/engineers follow in order to plan for, design, build, test, and produce a system. The primary purpose of SDLC is to deliver high-quality systems that are as per end-users' expectations within an agreed-upon time frame and cost.

What are the most common stages of SDLC?

SDLC is a description of the stages in the life cycle of a software application.

Broadly, these stages are analysis, design, build, test, implement, and maintenance and support.

Analysis:

This stage involves breaking down the system in different pieces to analyze the situation, analyzing project goals, breaking down what needs to be created, and attempting to engage users so that definite requirements can be defined. The stage starts with a preliminary analysis, propose, alternative solutions, description of costs and benefits, and submision of a preliminary plan with recommendations. It is completed after considering inputs from customer, business team, market surveys, and domain experts in the industry. All these information is then utilized to plan the high-level project approach.

Design:

At this step, desired features and operations are described in detail, including screen layouts, business rules, process diagrams, pseudocode, and other documentation.

The design stage takes as its initial input the requirements identified in the approved requirements document. For each requirement, a set of one or more design elements will be produced as a result of interviews, workshops, and/or prototype efforts.

Build:

The actual code is written here.

Test:

All the modules are brought together into a special testing environment, then checked for errors, bugs, and interoperability.

Implement:

This is the final stage of initial development, where the software is put into production and runs actual business.

Maintenance and Support:

During the maintenance stage of the SDLC, the system is assessed/evaluated to ensure it does not become obsolete. This is also where changes are made to initial software.