Software Development for Beginners: A Step-by-Step Guide (Classic, clear, and highly searchable

Software Development for Beginners: A Step-by-Step Guide (Classic, clear, and highly searchable

Software Development 

The process of developing computer programs (software) to perform specific tasks is called software Development. It involves various stages such as planning, designing, coding, testing, deployment, and maintenance.

Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) 

Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is a framework that defines the different stages or steps required to develop software. It represents the complete process of software development. The main purpose of the SDLC is to deliver high quality software that meets customer requirements, is completed on time, and remains within the estimated budget.

SDLC consists of several phases or stages for developing software. The main phase of the SDLC is as follows: 

1- Requirement Gathering 

2- Design 

3- Coding/ Development 

4- Testing 

5- Deployment 

6- Maintenance 

Framework in Software Development 

A framework is a reusable and standardized set of concepts, practices, and tools that provides a structured foundation for developing software. It provides predefined software components that developers can use to build software systems more easily and quickly.

Framework promotes code reusability and improves the overall quality of software systems.

In software development, practices are standard techniques or methods used to design, build, test, and maintain software systems.

Example:

Suppose you want to create a website. You do not have to write all the code from the beginning. Instead, you can use a framework. One popular framework for creating websites is Django. Django includes built-in features and tools for:

Creating web pages

Connection to databases

Handing user logins

Stages involved in SDLC 

A brief description of the main phase or stages involved in SDLC is as follows:

Requirements Gathering 

Requirement gathering is the first phase of the SDLC. It involves finding out the needs and expectations of the users and other stakeholders who will use the software. The main goal of this phase is to understand and collect complete, clear, and accurate information about what the software should do.

Design 

In the design phase of the SDLC, the requirements collected during the requirement gathering phase are transformed into a software design model. This model is a logical representation of the software system. It defines how the software system will look and how it will work.

Coding / Development 

In the coding or development phase of SDLC, the actual development of the software begins. Programmers write the source code using the appropriate programming language. In other words, programmers convert the software design into a working software product.

Testing 

After the coding is completed, the software is thoroughly tested to identify and fix bugs, errors, or any issues. This phase serves as a quality check to make sure every component of the software works correctly as expected.

Deployment 

Once the software is tested, it is delivered to the users for use. This phase includes installation , configuration, and testing the software to ensure that it works correctly and meets user needs.

Maintenance 

The maintenance phase is the final and ongoing phase of the SDLC. It begins after the software is deployed and in use. It involves fixing issues, updating the software, and adapting to it to changing needs or new technologies. It ensures that the software remains functional and up to date over time.

Requirement Gathering 

Requirement Gathering is the first phase of the software development life cycle (SDLC). It involves finding out the needs and expectations of the users and other stakeholders who will use the software. The main goal of this phase is to understand and collect complete, clear and accurate information about what the software should do (in other words, what users expect from the software.

Activities in requirements Gathering 

The main activities performed during the requirement gathering phase are as follows:

Interviews and surveys

Interviews and surveys are used to collect information from users to understand their needs and expectations.

A survey is a method of collecting information from users to understand their needs and expectations.

An interview is a method of collecting information by directly asking questions to users.

Observations 

In this activity, the working of the current existing system is carefully observed. This activity helps to understand how users interact with the existing system, identify issues, and find opportunities for improvement in the new software.

Document Review 

This activity involves reviewing existing system documents such as reports and user manuals. It helps to gather additional information about the current system and software requirements.

What do you know about functional and non-functional requirements?

Requirements are generally classified into two types: functional requirements and non-functional requirements 

Functional requirements 

Functional requirements describe what the system should do. These requirements define the features, services and function that the system must perform. For example, for a library management system, some functional requirements can be as follows:

User Registration: The system should allow users (such as students and faculty) to register and create their own accounts.

Book Borrowing: The system should allow users to search for books and borrow them if available.

Book Return: The system enables users to return books they have borrowed.

Inventory Management: Librarians should be able to add, update, and remove records of books in the system.

Non- Functional Requirements 

Non-functional requirements describe how the system should perform its function rather than what the system should do.These Requirements define the quality attributes of the system such as performance, reliability, and security. For example, for a library management system, the non-functional requirements can be as follows:

Performance: The system should support up to 1000 users simultaneously without any performance issues.

Reliability: The system should work almost all time, with minimal downtime.

 Security: The system should protect user data, and access should be controlled using a secure authentication method.

Functional Requirements Non-functional Requirements 

1. They describe what the system should do. 1. They describe how the system should perform it's function 

2. They define specific functions and features of the system 2. They define the quality attributes and constructions of the system 

3. They are related to user interactions and system operation. 3. There are related to system attributes, such as performance, reliability, and security.

Describe in detail the " design " phase of SDLC Design 

In the design phase of the SDLC, the requirements collected during the requirement gathering phase are transformed into a detailed software design model. This is a logical representation of the software system. It defines how the software system will look and how it will work. In simple terms, this phase is like drawing a house before construction begins. During the phase, the following main activities are performed.

Creating Diagrams:

Diagrams are created to show how different parts of the software will connect and work together. For example, a flowchart may be drawn to show the sequence of steps that a program will follow to complete a task.

Developing Models

Models are developed to show the logic of the software. These may include mockups or prototypes that show how the software interface will look and how users will interact with it.

Planning the systems Architecture 

The overall structure of the software system is decided (planned) , including how different components of the system will work together. This helps to ensure that the system is well organized and functions smoothly.

Specifying Requirements 

The Requirements for each component of the software are clearly specified. This ensures that all necessary features are included and nothing important is missed.

Describe in detail the testing phase of SDLC testing 

After the coding is completed, the software is thoroughly tested to identify and fix bugs, errors, or other issues. This phase serves as a quality check to make sure every component of the software works correctly as expected.

Functionality Testing 

This type of testing is performed to make sure whether all features of the software work according to the specified functional requirements.

Performance testing 

This type of testing is performed to verify whether software works efficiently under different condition, such as high data traffic or large volumes of data.

Compatibility Testing 

This type of testing is performed to make sure whether the software works correctly on different devices and operating system.