The Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is a process used by the software industry to design, develop, and test high-quality software. The SDLC aims to produce high-quality software that meets or exceeds customer expectations, reaches completion within times and cost estimates, and is efficient and maintainable.The SDLC involves several stages, including planning, analysis, design, implementation, testing, deployment, and maintenance. Here’s a brief overview of each phase:
- Planning: This is the first phase in the SDLC. It involves defining the project goals, scope, purpose, and procedures. It requires input from all stakeholders and domain experts and defines the resources needed.
- Analysis: This phase involves gathering detailed business requirements. The system’s requirements are defined in detail, and the project’s feasibility is evaluated.
- Design: In this stage, the software’s architecture is established. This includes defining the overall system architecture and choosing the best design approach.
- Implementation (or Coding): This is the phase where the actual software coding takes place. The design is translated into source code.
- Testing: After the software is developed, it is tested against the requirements to ensure the product solves the needs addressed and gathered during the requirements phase.
- Deployment: Once the software has been tested and is bug-free, it is deployed to the customer.
- Maintenance: This is the last phase of the SDLC. It involves making updates to the software, fixing issues that surface over time, and adding any enhancements.
The SDLC is an ongoing process, with each step leading to the next. Feedback loops exist between each stage; for example, if an issue is found during the testing phase, it may lead to changes in the design or the code. This process is used not just for software development but can be applied to hardware, systems, and project development as well.
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