Software Development Methodology

What is a software development methodology?

A structured process or model used to plan, design, develop, test, and maintain software.

What is the Waterfall model?

A linear, sequential approach where each phase (requirements → design → implementation → testing → deployment → maintenance) must be completed before the next.

Main advantage of the Waterfall model?

Clear structure, easy to manage for small, well-defined projects.

Main disadvantage of the Waterfall model?

Hard to adapt to changes once development starts.

What is the Agile model?

A flexible, iterative approach focusing on customer collaboration, adaptive planning, and continuous delivery.

What are sprints in Agile?

Short, time-boxed periods (1–4 weeks) where teams complete specific features or tasks.

What is Scrum?

An Agile framework using roles (Scrum Master, Product Owner, Development Team) and ceremonies (daily stand-up, sprint review).

What is a Product Backlog?

A prioritized list of all desired features or user stories in a product.

What is a Sprint Backlog?

A list of selected items from the Product Backlog to complete in a specific sprint.

What is a Daily Standup?

A short daily meeting to discuss progress, blockers, and next steps.

What is the role of the Scrum Master?

Facilitates Scrum processes, removes obstacles, and ensures adherence to Agile principles.

What is the Product Owner?

The stakeholder responsible for defining product vision and managing the product backlog.

What is the Kanban model?

A visual Agile framework emphasizing continuous delivery and limiting work in progress using a Kanban board.

What is Extreme Programming (XP)?

An Agile methodology focusing on engineering practices like pair programming, test-driven development, and continuous integration.

What is DevOps?

A culture and practice that bridges software development (Dev) and IT operations (Ops) to improve collaboration and deployment speed.

What is Continuous Integration (CI)?

The practice of merging code changes frequently and automatically testing them.

What is Continuous Deployment (CD)?

Automatically deploying every code change that passes tests to production.

What is version control?

A system that records file changes and manages code versions (e.g., Git).

What is a code review?

A process where peers review code to find errors, enforce standards, and improve quality.

What is test-driven development (TDD)?

A practice where tests are written before code, and code is written to make the tests pass.

What is refactoring?

Improving existing code structure without changing its behavior.

What is software testing?

The process of evaluating software to ensure it meets requirements and is free of defects.

What is unit testing?

Testing individual components or functions of code in isolation.

What is integration testing?

Testing the interaction between multiple modules or systems.

What is system testing?

Testing the complete and integrated software system as a whole.

What is acceptance testing?

Testing performed by the customer or end-user to verify if requirements are met.

What is the main difference between Agile and Waterfall?

Agile is iterative and flexible; Waterfall is linear and rigid.

What is the SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle)?

A process defining stages for software creation: planning, analysis, design, implementation, testing, deployment, and maintenance.