Agile Vs Plan Driven

Software Development Process Selection
(Agile Vs Plan Driven)

Software development process

It is a general phases that occurs in nearly any software development process. In software development process there are few steps that are described below here.

The first step is requirement. The Requirements phase focuses on what the system will do in an effort that views all stakeholders, including sponsors and potential users, as important sources of information.

The design phase takes as its initial input the requirements identified in the approved requirements document. For each requirement, a set of one or more design elements will be produced as a result of interviews, workshops, and/or prototype efforts. Design elements describe the desired software features in detail, and generally include functional hierarchy diagrams, screen layout diagrams, tables of business rules, business process diagrams, pseudo code, and a complete entity-relationship diagram with a full data dictionary.

The coding phase performs the task that translates this task into machine readable format. Different high level programming languages like C, C++,, C#, COBOL, Pascal, Java are used for coding. Programming tools like compilers, interpreters, debuggers etc… are used to translate the code into machine readable form.

The next phase is testing. In this phase the product is tested. There are several tools for testing.

After testing the product is implemented to the customer and training is given for safe use of the software.

Agile Vs Plan Driven

Selection of Software Development Process is situational. You may choose Plan-Driven or Agile Method.

Plan-Driven

Plan-driven development is a traditional development method. In plan driven method it has given more emphasize particularly on plan and architecture. The quality of software is based on attention and predictability of process. Plan-driven development precisely depends on clear procedures.

Plan Driven Methodologies

It is a formal specific approach. Plan-driven methodologies are:

Ø  Personal Software Process (PSP)

Ø  Team Software Process (TSP)

Ø  Rational Unified Process (RUP)

Steps in Plan-Driven Method

Ø  repeatability and predictability

Ø  a defined incremental process

Ø   extensive documentation

Ø  up-front system architecture

Ø  detailed plans

Ø  process monitoring

Ø  controlling and education

Ø  risk management

Ø  Verification and validation.

Agile

Agile development is a Modern development method. It has given more emphasized particularly on Process and execution. Agile development does not depend on clear procedures.

Agile Methodologies

Ø  Planning

Ø  Design

Ø  Programming practices

Agile methodologies all incorporate:

Ø  Pre-Project

Ø  Feasibility Study

Ø  Business Study

Ø  Functional Model Iteration

Ø  Design and Build Iteration

Ø  Implementation

Ø  Post-Project

Plan-Driven Vs Agile

Plan-driven perspective

Ø  Formal, written documents

Ø  Executable models (RUP)

Ø  Code/comments

Agile perspective

Ø  Story cards – Project wall

Ø  Whiteboards

Ø  Tests – executable specifications

Ø  Code/comments