When getting started in software development, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the whole life cycle. This includes understanding the different phases of the process, as well as the tools and processes used in each stage.
Concept Development
In this phase, you come up with ideas for products or services that you would like to build. You might also be working on prototypes or exploring potential business models. Mostly, you’re coming up with ideas and figuring out what you want to achieve with your project.
The tools you use in this phase will depend on the type of product or service you’re creating. If it’s a software application, you might use a program like Microsoft Access or Excel to develop your ideas. If it’s a website or another type of product, you might use HTML and CSS to create a layout that looks correct and professional.
Requirements Gathering
Once you’ve developed your concept and chosen a platform, the next step is to gather user requirements. This entails interviewing people who would need access to your product or service, gathering information about their needs, and developing a detailed list of what they need and how they should use it.
There are many different ways to collect requirements: face-to-face interviews, focus groups, surveys, online feedback forms, and more. The key is to get as many voices involved as possible so that everyone has an input into the product or service.
Design Development
Now that you know what users need from your product or service, it’s time to start creating it— starting with the design phase. In this stage, you come up with concepts for features, structures, and designs for your interface and user flows. You also start designing graphics and logos for your project.
Development & Testing
Once your design is complete, it’s time to start developing your codebase and testing it before release to users. This involves writing all of the code necessary for your application (or website), testing it thoroughly against pre-determined criteria (such as ensuring 404 errors don’t occur), and making any necessary revisions before launch.
Release & Maintenance
Once your application is live in users’ hands (and hopefully doing what they wanted it to do), it’s time to keep supporting it through regular updates/fixes/additions. This involves tracking down any bugs that are reported by users during reviews/feedback cycles, deploying patches/updates as needed, and managing customer support appointments/requests