Agile software development processes are based on constant feedback from the customer and rapid response to changes in the business environment with minimal planning and documentation so that software development projects are completed quickly, on time, and within budget.
CodersDaddy follows an agile software development process based on scrum and lean startup ideas, allowing us to quickly create and test prototypes of the applications we’re building. It will enable us to discover:
- Which features of the software are the most valuable to our clients
- Which ones users struggle with, and
- What other problems might crop up along the way
Agile Software Development: A Detailed Overview
Agile software development is a project management methodology that emphasizes people and interactions over processes and tools, frequently short iterations (timeboxed work periods) over lengthy ones, and customer collaboration over contract negotiation.
It is an iterative, incremental approach that encourages collaboration between developers, clients, or end-users. The process requires a lot of iteration, generally with short development cycles; teams have a week or two (or more) to work on what’s known as a sprint and get it ready for review by all stakeholders.
Then, team members and stakeholders meet in a scrum when they look at everything that’s been developed up until that point. This includes user stories— if there are any existing user stories from previous projects—and then talks about what has changed from those stories since they were written.
The History of Agile Software Development
Agile software development has its roots in lean manufacturing principles developed by Toyota Motor Corporation in Japan in the late 1980s. In his 1996 book The Fifth Discipline, Peter Senge popularized it as a set of values and principles for making IT organizations more effective. The term agile was coined for being agile with change for flexible systems that can respond quickly to new information about customers’ needs.
7 Steps of Agile Software Development Process
The software development process can be long and arduous, but there are ways to make it smoother. One way is to practice agile software development. This means breaking the project down into smaller pieces or iterations and testing and QA each before moving on.
There are seven main stages in agile software development, including analysis and planning, understanding technical requirements, design & prototyping, software development, testing, deployment, maintenance & updates. These stages are often repeated several times until a project is completed. The following sections detail each stage in more depth:
Analysis and Planning
A software development process starts with a thorough analysis of business objectives and goals. Software is useless if it doesn’t do what you need, so good preparation is crucial before getting started. Here, our team needs a detailed analysis of your project, identifying risks, cost estimates, and time frames for delivery.
During analysis and planning, you’ll establish a timeline and budget for your project, determine what development practices you want to use, choose a development team, and define how long development will take. Planning is crucial for software projects; no one wants to spend money on an idea that may not pan out.
Understanding the Technical Requirements
To create software that meets your specific needs, our team will need to understand the technical requirements of your project. We will need to know:
- What operating system you are using, what language the software will be written in
- What database system you are using
- What programming language do you want your project written in?
- How complex is the project?
- What frameworks will you need?
Knowing the answers to these questions will help you develop a roadmap for your project. Once we have this information, we can start writing the code for your project.
Design (Developing the software architecture)
In this phase, designers, architects, and developers work together to develop software architecture. This step is crucial because it sets the foundation for the rest of the process.
Well-designed software architecture is essential for several reasons:
- It can make your code more maintainable by promoting separation of concerns and independent modules.
- A good design can improve performance by minimizing dependencies and allowing you to take advantage of caching and other optimization techniques.
- A well-designed system is more resilient to change, making it easier to add new features or make changes without breaking existing functionality.
- Good software architecture makes it easier to understand the system as a whole, which can be helpful when trying to debug issues or track down sources of problems.
- A well-designed system is more likely to be extensible, meaning it will be easier to add new features or modify existing ones.
- Well-designed systems are also easier to test because they provide clear boundaries between individual components.
- Finally, a well-designed system facilitates interaction with the rest of the world (e.g., human users, hardware devices) since they need only communicate with interfaces that have been explicitly designed for their needs.
Software Development with Frontend & Backend Coding
Custom software development is the process of coding software. There are two types of coding in software development: frontend and backend.
Frontend coding is the code that determines what a user sees when they visit a website or use an application. This type of code is usually written in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
Backend coding is the code that runs on a web server and powers the frontend code. This code is usually written in PHP, Ruby on Rails, or Python.
The first step in coding is to develop an idea for what you want your software to do. Once you have a software idea, you must choose a programming language. There are different languages used for other purposes.
For example, JavaScript can be used for developing websites or writing scripts to control applications on your computer. Python can be used as a general-purpose programming language or as a scripting language. Ruby can be used as a web development framework or as a scripting language like Python.
Next, you must decide which IDE (Integrated Development Environment) to use while coding, such as Eclipse, NetBeans, Visual Studio Code, PyCharm, Atom, or IntelliJ. IDEA will depend on which languages you’re using and what operating system you’re using.
After choosing your IDE, you need to follow the correct syntax and formatting, so it runs smoothly without any errors when compiled. Finally, compile the program to ensure there are no errors!
Software Testing & QA
To create high-quality software, testing and quality assurance throughout the development process are essential. The software testing team members jump in at the end of every sprint cycle in an Agile development process. This allows for continuous feedback and helps ensure that the final product meets customer expectations. It also helps reduce the risk of surprises during the final stages of development.
The Testing team works with the developers and customers to understand what is required to complete the project successfully.
A well-functioning Testing group will share information between everyone involved and suggest how they can improve their processes or even introduce new ideas. We also do continuous integration (CI) with automated tests! CI lets developers know as soon as possible if there are any errors with any changes they have made, meaning they don’t have to wait until the end of the project when things could be too late to fix anything. It also ensures that everyone knows what the latest code version is.
Deployment of Software on Client Server or App Stores
- In agile software development, deployment is getting new code into production. This can be done manually or automatically.
- Deployment should be done frequently, so there is always a working version of the code in production.
- Automated deployments are preferred as they are less error-prone and can be done more quickly.
- To set up an automated deployment pipeline, you must choose a continuous integration tool and configure it to work with your code repository and server infrastructure.
- Once the pipeline is set up, every time new code is pushed to the repository; it will be automatically deployed to the server.
To deploy your software application, you must create an MVP first. This will help you get feedback from potential users and help you make sure that your product is viable.
Software Maintenance & Support Services
Software maintenance and support services are vital for keeping your software up-to-date and running smoothly. These updates ensure your business is always protected against the latest cyber threats, like zero-day exploits, new vulnerabilities, data breaches, and more.
Another essential part of maintaining your software is providing support for any questions and problems with the system. Support can be offered in person, via chat, email, or over the phone. Having good customer service ensures you will have happy customers who will keep coming back again and again!
CodersDaddy provides free training and technical support for their customers. It often involves live sessions or on-demand videos where they answer user questions about various topics such as how to use the product or troubleshoot specific problems.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Waterfall & Agile approach?
The waterfall approach to software development is a linear process where each phase must be completed before moving on to the next. The agile approach, on the other hand, is a more flexible process that allows for changes and iterations as needed.
What happens during sprint planning meeting?
During a Sprint planning meeting, the Scrum team comes together to discuss which user stories from the product backlog they will commit to completing during the upcoming sprint. The goal is to ensure that everyone understands what needs to be done and that the team is capable of completing the work.
What happens during daily standup meetings?
It is a brief meeting, usually lasting no more than 15 minutes, where each team member tells the others what they worked on the day before and what they plan to work on today. This helps everyone stay on the same page and makes sure that everyone is making progress on their assigned tasks. Plus, it’s a great way to catch any potential problems early on.
What is refactoring in Agile software development?
Refactoring is restructuring existing code to improve readability, extensibility, or maintainability without changing its functionality. In other words, when you refactor code, you’re not adding new features or fixing bugs; you’re making changes to the structure of the code itself.
What’s the difference between product backlog and sprint backlog?
In short, a sprint backlog is a list of tasks that need to be completed during the current sprint, while a product backlog is a master list of all tasks that need to be completed for the project. The product owner maintains the product backlog, while the development team maintains the sprint backlog. The product backlog is prioritized by business value, while the sprint backlog is prioritized by what can be completed within the current sprint.
What do you mean by the term “velocity” in Agile?
In Agile, velocity refers to the rate at which a team can complete work. This is typically measured by the number of user stories or tasks a team can complete in a sprint. A team’s velocity predicts how much work they can achieve in future sprints.
What are iterative and incremental development?
Incremental and iterative development is a software development process where requirements are gradually refined over time. This means instead of trying to get everything perfect from the start, you start with a basic version and then add features and refine them over time.
What is a Product Roadmap?
A product roadmap is a high-level document that provides an overview of the vision and direction of a product. It outlines the features that will be delivered, when they will be delivered, and how they will be delivered. The roadmap is a living document that should be updated regularly as new information becomes available.
What are Burn-up and Burn-down charts in Agile?
In agile software development, burn-up and burn-down charts are used to track progress. The burn-up chart shows the total amount of work that has been completed, while the burn-down chart shows the amount of work that remains to be done. These charts can be used to track a project’s progress and ensure it is on track.
What are the main Agile frameworks?
At CodersDaddy, we use a variety of agile frameworks to help us develop products efficiently and effectively. In addition to Scrum, we often use Kanban, Lean, and XP. Each Agile development framework has its own strengths and weaknesses, but together they provide a well-rounded approach to product development.
