Programming Methodologies

Uses of Waterfall methodology

Static, low-risk projects which need little user input, such as a piece of general-purpose software

Advantages of Waterfall methodology

Straightforward to manage

Clearly documented

Disadvantages of Waterfall methodology

Lack of flexibility

No risk analysis

Limited user involvement

Uses of Agile methodology

Small to medium projects with unclear initial requirements

Advantages of Agile methodology

Produces high quality code

Flexible to changing requirements

Regular user input

Disadvantages of Agile methodology

Poor documentation

Requires consistent interaction between user and programmer

Uses of Extreme Programming methodology

Small to medium projects with unclear initial requirements requiring excellent usability

Advantages of Extreme Programming methodology

Produces high quality code

Constant user involvement means high usability

Disadvantages of Extreme Programming methodology

High cost of two people working on one project

Teamwork is essential Spiral

End-user may not be able to be present

Uses of Spiral methodology

Large, risk-intensive projects with a high budget.

Disadvantages of Spiral methodology

Expensive to hire risk assessors

Lack of focus on code efficiency

High costs due to constant prototyping

Advantages of Spiral methodology

Produces prototypes throughout

Thorough risk-analysis and mitigation

Caters to changing user needs

Uses of Rapid Application Development methodology

Small to medium, low-budget projects with short time-frames.

Advantages of Rapid Application Development methodology

Caters to changing user requirements

Highly usable finished product

Focus on core features, reducing development time

Disadvantages of Rapid Application Development methodology

Poorer quality documentation

Fast pace may reduce code quality