Software development
Software development is the computer programming, documenting, testing, and bug fixing involved in creating and maintaining Application software applications and frameworks involved in a software release life cycle and resulting in a software product.
The term "software development" sometimes refers to the process of writing and maintaining source code.
In a broader sense, the term "software development" includes a range of activities and a variety of technical and business disciplines, including:
- Research
- New development
- Prototyping
- Modification
- Reuse
- Re-engineering
- Maintenance
- Any other activities that result in software products
Software development passes through a series of stages, from conception of the desired software through to the final manifestation of the software, ideally in a planned and structured process.
Software can be developed for a variety of purposes, the three most common being:
- To meet specific needs of a specific client/business (the case with custom software)
- To meet a perceived need of some set of potential users (the case with commercial and open source software)
- For personal use (e.g. a scientist may write software to automate a mundane task)
Embedded software development, that is, the development of embedded software such as used for controlling consumer products, requires the development process to be integrated with the development of the controlled physical product.
System software underlies applications and the programming process itself, and is often developed separately.
The need for better quality control of the software development process has given rise to the discipline of software engineering, which aims to apply the systematic approach exemplified in the engineering paradigm to the process of software development.
There are many approaches to software project management, known as software development life cycle models, methodologies, processes, or models.
The waterfall model is a traditional version, contrasted with the more recent innovation of agile software development.
See also
External links
- Software development @ Wikipedia
