Research about SDLC, discussing it's methodology, benefits and key stages. Comment on activities you have conducted during your website development that correlates with the stages

 What is SDLC ?

The Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) refers to a methodology with clearly defined processes for creating high-quality software. in detail, the SDLC methodology focuses on the following phases of software development:

1-Requirement analysis

2-Planning

3-Software design such as architectural design

4-Software development

5-Testing

6-Deployment    (Altvater, 2021)

Methodology of SDLC : 

Software development lifecycle methodologies show how the chosen software development method and the SDLC phases match up. Depending on the  method, the stage length, and the stage order, a global SDLC and a local SDLC are built for the software as a whole and each iteration in SCRUM, respectively.. You can see how your development stages match the SDLC stages and try to keep them as close to the same as possible and pay attention to each stage. In this section, we are going to cover some of the most prominent types of SDLC methodologies. (SDLC methodologies)

Waterfall :

Known as the traditional methodology, waterfall is a sequential and linear flow for developing a software application. The process is outlined by a series of finite stages, each of which must be fully completed before moving on to the next one. The Waterfall approach follows this order: requirements, design, execution, testing, and release. (SDLC methodologies)

Prototyping :

This methodology creates software application prototypes to simulate the functional aspects of a desired final product. Prototyping is mainly used to visualize software solution components and match them with customer requirements. There are several variants of prototyping, but they are primarily categorized into throwaway and evolutionary. Throwaway prototyping creates a model that will eventually be discarded, and evolutionary prototyping refers to a robust prototype that will be constantly refined to reach its final version. Drawbacks of PrototypingA working prototype may cause confusion with the finished version of the system. Often, developers waste a significant amount of time creating a prototype, and their time could have been t used more helpfully. Additionally, it can be costly to implement functioning prototypes. (SDLC methodologies)

Spiral :

The Spiral methodology can be considered a combination of the waterfall and prototyping methodology. It is typically the methodology for large and complex projects because it uses the same stages as the Waterfall methodology. Still, it separates them into planning, risk assessment, and prototype building. (SDLC methodologies)

Agile :

The iterative and incremental methodology known for excellence, Agile is a framework that evolves through collaboration between teams. It is a dynamic and interactive methodology that works in sprints with a defined duration and lightweight deliverables that help reduce the time in which software is released. It advocates for adaptive planning, evolutionary development, early delivery, continuous improvement, and rapid and flexible responsiveness to changes.(SDLC methodologies)

Iterative and incremental :

The Iterative and incremental methodology is designed to overcome any fault or shortcoming of the Waterfall methodology. The iterative and incremental methodology begins with initial planning and ends with the deployment of the solution, with cyclic interaction in between. In essence, it develops a software application via iterative and repeated cycles performed in increments so developers can learn from the development of previous portions of the software. (SDLC methodologies)

benefits and key stages of SDLC :

(Admin, 2022)

Stage 1 : Planning & Requirements Analysis

At the start of software development life cycle stages, the need to attract the most talented and experienced engineers inevitably arises. By considering the demands of the client, a skillful crew can create a reliable foundation for the rest of the software development life cycle phases.This stage has a number important steps. First, the team working on the project conducts a preliminary analysis to discover the aims and issues of their client. Based on the results, they propose a set of possible solutions, with a budget for each. (Software development life cycle)

Stage 2 : Defining Requirements

The sequence of software development life cycle stages continues with a deep dive into the requirements, after the client has chosen a software solution. The team analyses documents related to the project, evaluates the client’s existing ecosystem. This is one the software development life cycle steps that some consider transitional, performing it alongside planning and requirements analysis. (Software development life cycle)

Stage 3 : Designing Product Architecture

Having fully analysed the client’s requirements on previous software development life cycle stages, the developers create several product architectures and show them to the client.The chosen architecture is then finalised in a Design Document Specification (DDS) and evaluated by all sides in terms of risks, operational reliability, universality, and cost-effectiveness. This architecture becomes the foundation for all next stages of software development life cycle and the software product in question. (Software development life cycle)

Stage 4 : Developing the Product

One of the most critical software development life cycle phases, this one aims at producing working code and showing results to the client. The development takes the majority of time in any project. Often, the project exceeds the initially estimated time: the client might consider adding something to the project scope in the course of the development process. In some SDLC models, the product can change in the process of the development.(Software development life cycle)

Stage 5 : Testing the Product

After all the preparations on previous stages of software development life cycle are completed, quality assurance engineers start scouting for bugs. Testing is another crucial step among the SDLC life cycle phases as it allows for fixing critical problems before they will lead to critical loses.Even though testing procedures may appear on other software development life cycle stages, as a separate one, testing provides a detailed map of breakdowns that need to be fixed.(Software development life cycle)

Stage 6 : Deployment & Maintenance

After the product is release-ready, the next action in the order of software development life cycle steps is to display the finished software solution to the client.To guarantee the proper work of the finished digital solution in the future, after all the SDLC life cycle phases are completed, the client can order general product maintenance to fix different issues (which inevitably emerge with any modern software product). This step completes the software development life cycle. (Software development life cycle)

References :

Altvater, A. (2021) What is SDLC? understand the software development life cycle, Stackify. Available at: https://stackify.com/what-is-sdlc/ (Accessed: February 12, 2023).

SDLC methodologies (no date) SDLC Phases, Models and Advantages. Available at: https://svitla.com/blog/sdlc-methodologies (Accessed: February 12, 2023). 

Software development life cycle: Basics, stages, Models (2020) Intellectsoft Blog. Available at: https://www.intellectsoft.net/blog/essentials-software-development-life-cycle/ (Accessed: February 12, 2023).

Admin (2022) Software development life cycle (SDLC), TestingDocs.com. Available at: https://www.testingdocs.com/software-development-lifecycle-sdlc/ (Accessed: February 12, 2023).