Software is something that the majority of businesses rely on in many different ways. The majority of businesses today are computer orientated, and many have a presence on the web. All of which requires the use of different types of software. It is also something that is often taken for granted.

What is Software Development?

The making of software has many different components to it, which include:

• Coming up with the idea for the software
• Specifying its perimeters
• Designing
• Programming
• Documenting the process
• Testing for bugs and weaknesses
• Fixing the bugs

Those that are going to develop software have to be prepared to:

• Conduct research
• Coming up with new development objectives
• Creating a prototype
• Doing modifications
• Preparing for release
• Preparing maintenance

Different Methods for Software Development

The methods used for the development of the software requires a process which constructs a framework. It has phases to it, such as:

• Developing the structure
• The planning
• Controlling the process

These phases can be carried out with different approaches. Some will tackle the job using a more structured engineering approach. Other developers will develop it in sections or piece by piece.

Going Through the Process

As the developer goes through the process of developing the software, each segment has to be addressed accordingly.

Determining the Need

There is no shortage of needs when it comes to software. Those that want to develop new software will first determine if there is a need for it. They can do market research and study demographics to help determine this. The developers will determine how the software will fit in with current product lines and what channel distributions exist.

Planning Stage

This is where the developer has to be fully aware of the end-user wants and needs. Users have a general idea of what they want the software to perform but are not clear on exactly what the software should do. This is where the developer has to be very sure of the requirements and expectations.

Designing

Once it is known what is going to be expected of the software, the developer then needs to begin the designing phase. They will create a software design document.

Implementation

Here the developers really get down to work and start to develop the code that is required for the project. It is a tedious phase of software development.

Testing

This is critically important to the end results. This is where any faults in the development to date are identified and correct.

Documentation

The entire development process has to be documented as this will be important in the future for upgrades and maintenance to the software.

Deployment

Once the above phases have been completed, and the software is approved for release, it is ready for the end-user. How it is released will depend on the project. If the software has been developed for a client, then the developer will usually have to install and customize the software before its initial use. They may also have to provide the necessary training to use the software efficiently and be available for support.

Software development should never be taken for granted.