Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

Software development life cycle (SDLC) is a structured process that is used to design, develop, and test good-quality software. SDLC, or software development life cycle, is a methodology that defines the entire procedure of software development step-by-step.

The goal of the SDLC life cycle model is to deliver high-quality, maintainable software that meets the user’s requirements.

​Goal of the SDLC

What is Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)?

SDLC is a process followed for software building within a software organization. SDLC consists of a precise plan that describes how to develop, maintain, replace, and enhance specific software. The life cycle defines a method for improving the quality of software and the all-around development process.

Stages of the Software Development Life Cycle

SDLC specifies the task(s) to be performed at various stages by a software engineer or developer. It ensures that the end product is able to meet the customer’s expectations and fits within the overall budget. Hence, it’s vital for a software developer to have prior knowledge of this software development process.

It is the fundamental model of the software development life cycle. This is a very simple model. The waterfall model is not in practice anymore, but it is the basis for all other SDLC models. Because of its simple structure, the waterfall model is easier to use and provides a tangible output. In the waterfall model, once a phase seems to be completed, it cannot be changed, and due to this less flexible nature, the waterfall model is not in practice anymore.

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1. Waterfall Model

The agile model in SDLC was mainly designed to adapt to changing requests quickly. The main goal of the Agile model is to facilitate quick project completion. The agile model refers to a group of development processes. These processes have some similar characteristics but also possess certain subtle differences among themselves.

2. Agile Model

In the Iterative model in SDLC, each cycle results in a semi-developed but deployable version; with each cycle, some requirements are added to the software, and the final cycle results in the software with the complete requirement specification.

3. Iterative Model

The spiral model in SDLC is one of the most crucial SDLC models that provides support for risk handling. It has various spirals in its diagrammatic representation; the number of spirals depends upon the type of project. Each loop in the spiral structure indicates the Phases of the Spiral model.

4. Spiral Model

The V-shaped model in SDLC is executed in a sequential manner in V-shape. Each stage or phase of this model is integrated with a testing phase. After every development phase, a testing phase is associated with it, and the next phase will start once the previous phase is completed, i.e., development & testing. It is also known as the verification or validation model.

5. V-Shaped Model