The Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is a process used by software development teams to design, develop, test, and deploy software. It is a systematic approach to building software that includes a series of phases that ensure that the software meets the needs of the stakeholders and is delivered on time and within budget.
The SDLC provides a framework for managing the software development process and helps to ensure that the software is of high quality and meets the requirements of the stakeholders. The different stages in the SDLC include requirements gathering and analysis, design, implementation, testing, deployment, and maintenance.
Different models of SDLC, such as Waterfall, Agile, Scrum, and Kanban, have their own set of phases and methodologies, but they all aim to provide a structured approach to software development.
It typically includes the following stages:
1. Requirements gathering and analysis
In this stage, the software development team works with stakeholders to gather and document the requirements for the software. The team then analyzes the requirements to determine what needs to be developed, and how it will be developed.
2. Design
In this stage, the software development team creates a detailed design for the software, including system architecture, user interface design, and database design. This stage also includes creating a project plan and determining the resources needed to complete the project.
3. Implementation
In this stage, the software development team begins to code the software according to the design. This includes writing the code, testing it, and fixing any bugs that are found.
4. Testing
In this stage, the software development team tests the software to ensure that it meets the requirements and is free of bugs. The testing process includes unit testing, integration testing, system testing, and acceptance testing.
5. Deployment
In this stage, the software is deployed to a production environment and made available to users. This stage also includes preparing the necessary documentation and providing training to users.
6. Maintenance
In this stage, the software is maintained and updated to address any issues that arise, as well as to add new features and functionality. This stage also includes monitoring the software for performance issues and making necessary updates.
It’s worth noting that different organizations might have different variations of the SDLC, depending on the type of software development, the size of the team, the type of project, and more.
Also, there are many different models of software development life cycle such as Waterfall, Agile, Scrum, Kanban, etc. Each model has its own set of phases, and the phases might not be strictly sequential, some models like Agile, the phases are overlapping and the development team can move back and forth through the phases depending on the situation.
