Research Essay(theme)

What is a Software?

Software is a set of instructions, data or program used to operate computers and execute specific tasks. It is divided into two which are application software and system software. Application software fulfil a  need or want of a computer while system software including operating system and any program supports application software.

What is a Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)?

Software Development Life Cycle is a framework defining a task performed by a step by step procedure in the software development process. It is also known as Software Development Process.It is structure followed by a development team within the bounds of software organisation.

SDLC consist of a accurate process describing how to develop, maintain and replace a specific software, the life cycle itself defined as the methodology for enhancing the quality of software and the overall development process.

    

Figure 1: TECHSPARK (2013) Software Development Lifestyle. Available from: https://www.techsparks.co.in/software-engineering-as-a-thesis-topic/[Accessed on 26/01/2020]


The diagram above explains the general step by step procedure of SDLC;

• Planning: Each software development life cycle model start with a plan in which the user discuss the requirement of the final product

• Requirement: The goal of this stage is the full meaning of system requirement. Besides the detailed definition of system requirement, the developers and other process member need to have the knowledge of each requirement and when to implement them.

• Analysis: This stage is where the process participants do brainstorm and walk through to understand the requirement and feasibility test to make sure that the requirements are testable or not.

• Design: By the given requirements, the design is created and should be apprehended as the hardware and software requirement. The design should be confirmed and be documented.

• Development/implementation: Programmers start to write the source code according to the approved requirements, develop the user articulation of the program and the logic for its communication with the server. The system administrator modify the software environment.

• Testing: All the missing codes when developing are detected in this stage and will be passed back to developers to fix until the software workflow is fixed.

• Deployment: Make sure that the test criteria and all the stages requirement are met. Deploy or install the application in the respective environment and execute a balance check after the application is installed to make sure the application does not break.

• Maintenance: Make sure application is up and running well and if a user encounter a fault, the developers will fix the fault faced.

The most used and common types of software development life cycle are given below;

• Waterfall Model: It is a simple model that execute a sequence process where a phase have to be completed before moving to the next one. If a phase is completed, it cannot be drawback to the phase.

Figure 2: TECHSPARK (2013) Waterfall Model. Available from: https://www.techsparks.co.in/software-engineering-as-a-thesis-topic/[Accessed on 28/01/2020]

• Iterative Model: It is a repeated process whee it does not need the full requirements before the project starts. The process may start with the requirement of the functional part and it can be expanded later.

Figure 2: TECHSPARK (2013) Iterative Model. Available from: https://www.techsparks.co.in/software-engineering-as-a-thesis-topic/[Accessed on 28/01/2020]

• V-shaped Model: In waterfall, if a phase is complete and still have some requirement to be completed. This flaw is attain by the V-shape model which dispenses testing of each phase in a reverse manner.

Figure 4: Figure 4 - TECHSPARK (2013) V-Shaped Model. Available from: https://www.techsparks.co.in/software-engineering-as-a-thesis-topic/[Accessed on 28/01/2020]

Reference List:

Figures 1 - TECHSPARK (2013) Software Engineering. Available from: https://www.techsparks.co.in/software-engineering-as-a-thesis-topic/ [Accessed on 28/01/2020]

Figure 2 -  TECHSPARK (2013) Waterfall Model. Available from: https://www.techsparks.co.in/software-engineering-as-a-thesis-topic/[Accessed on 28/01/2020]

Figure 3 - TECHSPARK (2013) Iterative Model. Available from: https://www.techsparks.co.in/software-engineering-as-a-thesis-topic/[Accessed on 28/01/2020]

Figure 4 - TECHSPARK (2013) V-Shaped Model. Available from: https://www.techsparks.co.in/software-engineering-as-a-thesis-topic/[Accessed on 28/01/2020]