Software development company in Nigeria

Software Development Cycle

SDLC, or Software Development Life Cycle, is a series of steps used in the development of software applications. It is usually divided into six to eight steps: planning, requirements, design, build, documentation, testing, deployment, and maintenance. These steps break down the development process into tasks that can be assigned, completed, and measured. Depending on the scope of the project, some project managers will combine, split, or omit steps. These are the essential components for all software development projects;

1. Planning

Project leaders evaluate the project's terms during the Planning phase. This includes calculating labor and material costs, developing a timetable with target goals, and forming project teams, and establishing a leadership structure. Stakeholder feedback can also be incorporated into planning. Anyone who stands to benefit from the application is referred to as a stakeholder. Seek feedback from potential customers, developers, subject matter experts, and sales representatives. 

The scope and purpose of the application should be clearly defined during planning. It charts the course and equips the team to create the software effectively. It also establishes boundaries to keep the project from expanding or deviating from its original goal.

2. Define Requirements

Defining requirements is part of the planning process to determine what the application is supposed to do and what its requirements are. A social media application, for example, would necessitate the ability to connect with a friend. For an inventory program, a search feature may be required. Defining the resources required to build the project is also part of the requirements. A team might, for example, create software to control a custom manufacturing machine. The machine is required for the process.

3. Design and Prototyping

The Design phase simulates how a software application will function. Among the design elements are:

* Architecture – Defines the programming language, overall design, industry practices, and the use of any templates or boilerplate code.

* User Interface (UI) – Defines how customers interact with software and how the software responds to input.

* Platforms – These are the platforms on which the software will run, such as Apple, Android, Windows, Linux, or even gaming consoles.

* Programming – This includes not only the programming language but also methods for solving problems and carrying out tasks in the application.

* Communications – Specifies how the application will communicate with other assets, such as a central server or other instances of the application.

* Security – Defines the steps taken to secure the application, which may include SSL traffic encryption, password protection, and secure user credential storage.

Prototyping can be included in the design phase. In the Iterative software development model, a prototype is similar to one of the early versions of software. It demonstrates a basic understanding of how the application appears and functions. This "hands-on" design can be demonstrated to stakeholders. Use feedback to help you improve the application. Changing something in the Prototype phase is less expensive than rewriting code in the Development phase.

4. Software Development

This is the actual program writing. A small project may be written by a single developer, whereas a large project may be divided and worked on by multiple teams. During this phase, use an Access Control or Source Code Management application. These systems aid developers in keeping track of code changes. They also help to ensure that different team projects are compatible with one another and those target goals are met. Many other tasks are involved in the coding process. Many developers need to brush up on their skills or collaborate as a team. 

It is critical to identify and correct errors and glitches. Waiting for test results or compiling code so an application can run are two examples of tasks that frequently slow down the development process. SDLC can anticipate these delays, allowing developers to be assigned to other tasks. Instructions and explanations are greatly appreciated by software developers. Documentation can be a formal process that includes creating an application user guide. It can also be informal, such as comments in source code explaining why a developer used a particular procedure. 

Even companies that strive to create user-friendly software benefit from the documentation. Documentation can take the form of a quick guided tour of the application's basic features, which appear on the first launch. It could be video tutorials for more difficult tasks. Written documentation such as user guides, troubleshooting guides, and FAQs assist users in resolving problems or answering technical questions.

5. Testing

It is critical to test an application before releasing it to users. Most of the testing, including security testing, can be automated. Another testing can only be done in a specific environment; for complex deployments, consider creating a simulated production environment. Each function should be tested to ensure that it works properly. Different parts of the application should be tested to ensure that they work together seamlessly and eliminate any hangs or lags in processing. The testing phase aids in reducing the number of bugs and glitches encountered by users. As a result, user satisfaction and usage rates improve.

6. Deployment

The application is made available to users during the deployment phase. Many businesses prefer to automate the deployment process. This can be as simple as putting a payment portal and a download link on the company's website. It could also be the installation of an app on a smartphone. Deployment can also be difficult. One example is upgrading a company-wide database to a newly developed application. Because the database relies on several other systems, integrating the upgrade may take more time and effort.

7. Operations and Maintenance

The development cycle is nearly complete at this point. The application has been completed and is being used in the field. However, the phase of operation and maintenance is still important. Users discover bugs that were not discovered during testing during this phase. These errors must be resolved, which may result in new development cycles. Iterative development models, for example, plan additional features in future releases in addition to bug fixes. A new Development Cycle can be launched for each new release.