Linked by Yamin on Wed 9th Sep 2009 16:17 UTC
I've been developing software for quite a few years. One of the issues that seems to come up again and again in my work is this concept of design and implementation. I recall it being a significant part of my education at the University of Waterloo's Computer Engineering program as well. The message was always the same. Never write code first. First you must design software by writing a design document, flow charts, pseudo-code, timing charts... then it's merely a trivial matter of implementing it. Make note of the attitude here given towards implementing. The real work is in the design, and it's just a trivial matter of implementing it. It sounds so simple doesn't it? Now, how often does this work out in real life?
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Member since:
2007-08-22
Actually, no - the Waterfall Model is one method of how you work with the various parts. The other models (e.g Spiral, Incremental, Evolutionary, etc.) all use those same parts but incorporate them differently.
The Waterfall Model, for example, only does each of those once. One time, period. No 'repeat'. You're done after the first iteration.
The Spiral Model, puts the Waterfall Model into an iterative loop, but only for a certain number of times.
The Incremental Model cuts down the amount of work done at any given iteration and tries to build on itself so that in the end the product will be the same as the Spiral Modal.
The Evolutionary Model is more like the Spiral Model with an infinite loop, but typically cut down for any given iteration like the Incremental Model.
Needless to say, ALL current Software Engineering Models require the steps in my previous post. It's just how you iterate them and the amount of detail at any given iteration that makes the difference.
But yet, the Waterfall Model is generally considered bad practice - namely because it is not iterative in nature.