Development Approaches

Question 1

Characteristics of

Structured Development Approach

Answer 1

• Large scale
• Long, complex projects
• Formal stages
• Large team
• Start at the top and work progressively to the bottom
• Especially useful when all the requirements of the product are, or can be, defined and understood before any planning and design commences.

Question 2

Characteristics of

Agile Development Approach

Answer 2

• Close collaboration
• Requirements evolve, timescale is fixed
• Working version delivered after each iteration
• Interactive approach with selective refinement
• Constant testing
• Frequent updates
• Good for software that can be constantly improved
• Adapts to user feedback

Question 3

Characteristics of

Prototyping Development Approach

Answer 3

• Tests new design features which are incorporated in final product
• Progressively refined into working solution
• Relatively fast
• Models larger project allowing easier modification and visualisation of end product
• Frequent testing
• Many versions
• Medium sized projects
• Constant communication between users and devs
• Lack of absolute reliability, esp. early on.

Question 4

Characteristics of

RAD Development Approach

Answer 4

• Lack of formal stages
• Use of existing code routines where possible
• uses CASE (computer aided software engineering) tools
• Developer and client work together as a team
• Short time for completion
• Smaller projects
• Low budgets
• Compiling a variety of resources to create your product - don’t create it entirely from scratch

Question 5

Characteristics of

End User Development Approach

Answer 5

• Customise to unique requirements of user
• Cost effective in terms of development
• Completely modifiable when change in business dictate
• Bound by constraints of the functionality of the product
• Potentially open for errors due to lack of programming knowledge
• User customisation of readily available software applications to suit their needs
• No prior/limited expertise is needed
• Uses RAD and/or prototypes
• not a developer approach - built by the end user
• Quick, simplistic, small documents, limited documentation, don’t really plan ahead for problems, fix issues as they are encountered

Question 6

Use cases for

Structured Development Approach

Answer 6

• Driver software
• Operating software
• Large-scale systems

Question 7

Use cases for

Agile Development Approach

Answer 7

• Changing or Unknown requirements
• Need to get the software done quickly
• Web-based software
• Some mobile apps
• Software like Word and Excel that can be continually fine-tuned
• Operating systems

Question 8

Use cases for

Prototyping Development Approach

Answer 8

• Indie games
• Websites
• Social Media

Question 9

Use cases for

RAD Development Approach

Answer 9

• Mobile games
• Simple passion projects
• Sections of larger programs

Question 10

Use cases for

End User Development Approach

Answer 10

• Stock control (Microsoft Access or Excel)
• Small business – customer data base (Access)

Question 11

Stages

Structured Development Approach

Answer 11

1. defining and understanding
2. planning and designing
3. implementing
4. testing and evaluating
5. maintaining

Question 12

Stages

Agile Development Approach

Answer 12

1. Defining and understanding the initial problem
2. Plan, design and implement
3. Test and evaluate current solution
4. Release working version to users
5. Define and understand new requirements
6. Repeat 2-5 as needed

Question 13

Stages

Prototyping Development Approach

Answer 13

1. Defining and understanding the initial problem
2. Plan and design the prototype
3. Implement the prototype
4. Test and evaluate the prototype
5. Redefine the problem
6. Repeat 2-5 as needed
7. Implement operational solution
8. Testing and evaluating