Software Development Approaches Quiz

Evolutionary Development

• Lack of process visibility, poorly structured systems, and special skills (e.g., languages for rapid prototyping) may be required
• Suitable for small or medium-size interactive systems, parts of large systems (e.g., user interface), and short-lifetime systems

Component-Based Software Engineering

• Based on systematic reuse of existing components or Commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) systems
• Process stages include component analysis, requirements modification, system design with reuse, and development and integration

Process Iteration

• System requirements always evolve in the course of a project, so process iteration is always part of the process for large systems
• Iteration can be applied to any of the generic process models
• Two related approaches: incremental delivery and spiral development

Incremental Delivery

• Development and delivery are broken down into increments with each increment delivering part of the required functionality
• As requirements change, the software that supports the business must also evolve and change

System Evolution

• Fewer and fewer systems are completely new, and there is no demarcation between development and evolution (maintenance)

The Rational Unified Process (RUP)

• A modern process model derived from the work on the UML and associated process
• Described from three perspectives: dynamic, static, and practice

RUP Phase Model

• Phases: Inception, Elaboration, Construction, and Transition
• Phase iteration: Inception sets the stage, Elaboration defines the architecture, Construction develops the system, and Transition deploys the system

RUP Phases

• Inception: Establish the business case for the system
• Elaboration: Develop an understanding of the problem domain and the system architecture
• Construction: System design, programming, and testing
• User requirements are prioritized and the highest priority requirements are included in early increments

Incremental Development

• Customer value can be delivered with each increment, so system functionality is available earlier
• Early increments act as a prototype to help elicit requirements for later increments
• Lower risk of overall project failure
• Highest priority system services tend to receive the most testing

Extreme Programming

• An approach to development based on the development and delivery of very small increments of functionality
• Relies on constant code improvement, user involvement in the development team, and pairwise programming

Spiral Development

• Process is represented as a spiral rather than as a sequence of activities with backtracking
• Each loop in the spiral represents a phase in the process
• No fixed phases, such as specification or design - loops in the spiral are chosen depending on what is required
• Risks are explicitly assessed and resolved throughout the process