Software Development Process & Requirements - Lecture Review

Question-and-answer flashcards covering SDLC phases, Waterfall vs Agile, Agile Manifesto, requirement analysis importance, types and properties of requirements, requirement-gathering activities and techniques, and related key concepts.

What does SDLC stand for and what is its main aim?

Software Development Life Cycle; a systematic process to produce high-quality software that meets or exceeds customer expectations within time and cost estimates.

In SDLC, what is the objective of the Planning phase?

Identify project scope and feasibility, then create a schedule, resource plan, and budget.

What is accomplished during the Analysis phase of SDLC?

Detailed understanding and documentation of business needs and processing requirements.

What is the goal of the Design phase in SDLC?

Create the technical solution based on requirements and analysis decisions.

What happens in the Implementation phase of SDLC?

The software solution is built (coded) to satisfy business needs.

Why is Testing performed in SDLC?

To verify the system meets specified requirements and validate that it solves the intended problem.

What is Deployment in the SDLC context?

Making the developed software available in its operational environment.

What is the objective of the Maintenance phase?

Ensure the solution continues to address the problem during operation and manage its eventual decommissioning.

What is a software development methodology?

A predefined set of deliverables, artifacts, and processes used by a team to develop or maintain software.

When is the Waterfall model most suitable?

When requirements are clear and fixed, technology is stable, and the project is short.

Give one benefit of the Waterfall model.

It is simple to understand and manage because each phase has specific deliverables and review processes.

Give one drawback of the Waterfall model.

No working software is produced until late in the life cycle, making it hard to detect issues early.

What is Agile software development?

A lightweight framework promoting iterative development, close collaboration, and adaptive planning to handle changing requirements.

Agile value comparison: Which is valued more—individuals and interactions or processes and tools?

Individuals and interactions.

Name the four core values of the Agile Manifesto.

1) Individuals & interactions, 2) Working software, 3) Customer collaboration, 4) Responding to change.

Which Agile principle identifies the primary measure of progress?

Working software is the primary measure of progress.

Provide one example of an Agile methodology.

Scrum (others: Kanban, XP, Lean, FDD, DSDM).

State one benefit of Agile development.

Customers receive working software at the end of each iteration, providing continuous feedback and visibility.

State one drawback of Agile development.

Heavily depends on active customer interaction; unclear customer input can misdirect the team.

Why is requirement analysis critical in software development?

It ensures the right product is built to meet client and end-user needs and guides planning, design, implementation, and testing.

Define a functional requirement and give an example.

A capability the system must provide; e.g., "ATM system shall dispense money."

Define a non-functional requirement and give an example.

A constraint or quality attribute the system must meet; e.g., "Saving an order must complete in under 5 seconds."

List two properties of a good requirement.

Unambiguous and verifiable (also: consistent, comprehensive, prioritised).

What are the four main activities in requirement analysis?

Eliciting, analysing, modelling, and review & retrospective.

What is scope creep and how does it affect projects?

Uncontrolled growth of requirements, leading to cost overruns and schedule delays.

Name three common techniques for requirement gathering.

Interviews, questionnaires, observation of business processes (others: document review, prototyping, vendor research).

During an interview for requirements, what mix of questions is typically used?

A mixture of open-ended and closed-ended questions.

What is a prototype in requirement gathering?

An initial model (discovery, evolving, or mock-up) used to verify concepts and gather feedback, sometimes evolving into the final system.

What does the activity "Prioritise requirements" involve?

Ranking requirements by importance, urgency, complexity, and effort to balance user needs against limited resources.

In testing, how does verification differ from validation?

Verification checks the product meets specified requirements; validation ensures the product actually solves the intended problem.