What is a software process model?

A software process model is an abstraction of the software development process. The models
specify the stages and order of a process. So, think of this as a representation of the order of
activities of the process and the sequence in which they are performed.

A model will define the following:

• The tasks to be performed

• The input and output of each task
• The pre and post conditions for each task
• The flow and sequence of each task

Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

A software life cycle model (also termed process model) is a pictorial and diagrammatic
representation of the software life cycle. A life cycle model represents all the methods required
to make a software product transit through its life cycle stages. It also captures the structure in
which these methods are to be undertaken.

In other words, a life cycle model maps the various activities performed on a software product
from its inception to retirement. Different life cycle models may plan the necessary development
activities to phases in different ways. Thus, no element which life cycle model is followed, the
essential activities are contained in all life cycle models though the action may be carried out in
distinct orders in different life cycle models. During any life cycle stage, more than one activity
may also be carried out.

Need of SDLC

The development team must determine a suitable life cycle model for a particular plan and then
observe to it.

Without using an exact life cycle model, the development of a software product would not be in
a systematic and disciplined manner. When a team is developing a software product, there must
be a clear understanding among team representative about when and what to do. Otherwise, it
would point to chaos and project failure. This problem can be defined by using an example.
Suppose a software development issue is divided into various parts and the parts are assigned to
the team members. From then on, suppose the team representative is allowed the freedom to
develop the roles assigned to them in whatever way they like. It is possible that one
representative might start writing the code for his part, another might choose to prepare the test
documents first, and some other engineer might begin with the design phase of the roles assigned
to him. This would be one of the perfect methods for project failure.

SDLC Cycle

SDLC Cycle represents the process of developing software. SDLC framework includes the
following steps:

The stages of SDLC are as follows:

Stage1: Planning and requirement analysis

Requirement Analysis is the most important and necessary stage in SDLC.

The senior members of the team perform it with inputs from all the stakeholders and domain
experts or SMEs in the industry.
Planning for the quality assurance requirements and identifications of the risks associated with
the projects is also done at this stage.

Business analyst and Project organizer set up a meeting with the client to gather all the data like
what the customer wants to build, who will be the end user, what is the objective of the product.
Before creating a product, a core understanding or knowledge of the product is very necessary.

For Example, A client wants to have an application which concerns money transactions. In this
method, the requirement has to be precise like what kind of operations will be done, how it will
be done, in which currency it will be done, etc.

Once the required function is done, an analysis is complete with auditing the feasibility of the
growth of a product. In case of any ambiguity, a signal is set up for further discussion.

Once the requirement is understood, the SRS (Software Requirement Specification) document is
created. The developers should thoroughly follow this document and also should be reviewed by
the customer for future reference.

Stage2: Defining Requirements

Once the requirement analysis is done, the next stage is to certainly represent and document the
software requirements and get them accepted from the project stakeholders.

This is accomplished through "SRS"- Software Requirement Specification document which

contains all the product requirements to be constructed and developed during the project life
cycle.

Stage3: Designing the Software

The next phase is about to bring down all the knowledge of requirements, analysis, and design of
the software project. This phase is the product of the last two, like inputs from the customer and
requirement gathering.

Stage4: Developing the project

In this phase of SDLC, the actual development begins, and the programming is built. The
implementation of design begins concerning writing code. Developers have to follow the coding
guidelines described by their management and programming tools like compilers, interpreters,
debuggers, etc. are used to develop and implement the code.

Stage5: Testing
After the code is generated, it is tested against the requirements to make sure that the products
are solving the needs addressed and gathered during the requirements stage.

During this stage, unit testing, integration testing, system testing, acceptance testing are done.

Stage6: Deployment

Once the software is certified, and no bugs or errors are stated, then it is deployed.

Then based on the assessment, the software may be released as it is or with suggested
enhancement in the object segment.

After the software is deployed, then its maintenance begins.

Stage7: Maintenance

Once when the client starts using the developed systems, then the real issues come up and
requirements to be solved from time to time.

This procedure where the care is taken for the developed product is known as maintenance.

SDLC Models

Software Development life cycle (SDLC) is a spiritual model used in project management that
defines the stages include in an information system development project, from an initial
feasibility study to the maintenance of the completed application.

There are different software development life cycle models specify and design, which are
followed during the software development phase. These models are also called "Software
Development Process Models." Each process model follows a series of phase unique to its type
to ensure success in the step of software development.

Here, are some important phases of SDLC life cycle:

 Waterfall Model
The Waterfall Model was the first Process Model to be introduced. It is also referred to as
a linear-sequential life cycle model. It is very simple to understand and use. In a waterfall
model, each phase must be completed before the next phase can begin and there is no
overlapping in the phases.
The Waterfall model is the earliest SDLC approach that was used for software development.
The waterfall Model illustrates the software development process in a linear sequential flow.
This means that any phase in the development process begins only if the previous phase is
complete. In this waterfall model, the phases do not overlap.

Waterfall Model - Design

Waterfall approach was first SDLC Model to be used widely in Software Engineering to ensure
success of the project. In "The Waterfall" approach, the whole process of software development
is divided into separate phases. In this Waterfall model, typically, the outcome of one phase acts
as the input for the next phase sequentially.
The following illustration is a representation of the different phases of the Waterfall Model.

The sequential phases in Waterfall model are −

• Requirement Gathering and analysis − All possible requirements of the system to be
developed are captured in this phase and documented in a requirement specification
document.
• System Design − The requirement specifications from first phase are studied in this
phase and the system design is prepared. This system design helps in specifying
hardware and system requirements and helps in defining the overall system architecture.
• Implementation − With inputs from the system design, the system is first developed in
small programs called units, which are integrated in the next phase. Each unit is
developed and tested for its functionality, which is referred to as Unit Testing.
• Integration and Testing − All the units developed in the implementation phase are
integrated into a system after testing of each unit. Post integration the entire system is
tested for any faults and failures.
• Deployment of system − Once the functional and non-functional testing is done; the
product is deployed in the customer environment or released into the market.
 • Maintenance − There are some issues which come up in the client environment. To fix
those issues, patches are released. Also to enhance the product some better versions are
released. Maintenance is done to deliver these changes in the customer environment.
All these phases are cascaded to each other in which progress is seen as flowing steadily
downwards (like a waterfall) through the phases. The next phase is started only after the defined
set of goals are achieved for previous phase and it is signed off, so the name "Waterfall Model".
In this model, phases do not overlap.

Waterfall Model - Application

Every software developed is different and requires a suitable SDLC approach to be followed
based on the internal and external factors. Some situations where the use of Waterfall model is
most appropriate are −
• Requirements are very well documented, clear and fixed.
• Product definition is stable.
• Technology is understood and is not dynamic.
• There are no ambiguous requirements.
• Ample resources with required expertise are available to support the product.
• The project is short.

Waterfall Model - Advantages

The advantages of waterfall development are that it allows for departmentalization and control.
A schedule can be set with deadlines for each stage of development and a product can proceed
through the development process model phases one by one.
Development moves from concept, through design, implementation, testing, installation,
troubleshooting, and ends up at operation and maintenance. Each phase of development
proceeds in strict order.
Some of the major advantages of the Waterfall Model are as follows −
• Simple and easy to understand and use
• Easy to manage due to the rigidity of the model. Each phase has specific deliverables and
a review process.
• Phases are processed and completed one at a time.
• Works well for smaller projects where requirements are very well understood.
• Clearly defined stages.
 • Well understood milestones.
• Easy to arrange tasks.
• Process and results are well documented.

Waterfall Model - Disadvantages

The disadvantage of waterfall development is that it does not allow much reflection or revision.
Once an application is in the testing stage, it is very difficult to go back and change something
that was not well-documented or thought upon in the concept stage.
The major disadvantages of the Waterfall Model are as follows −
• No working software is produced until late during the life cycle.
• High amounts of risk and uncertainty.
• Not a good model for complex and object-oriented projects.
• Poor model for long and ongoing projects.
• Not suitable for the projects where requirements are at a moderate to high risk of
changing. So, risk and uncertainty is high with this process model.
• It is difficult to measure progress within stages.
• Cannot accommodate changing requirements.
• Adjusting scope during the life cycle can end a project.
• Integration is done as a "big-bang. at the very end, which doesn't allow identifying any
technological or business bottleneck or challenges early.

Iterative Model
Iterative Model - Design

Iterative process starts with a simple implementation of a subset of the software requirements
and iteratively enhances the evolving versions until the full system is implemented. At each
iteration, design modifications are made and new functional capabilities are added. The basic
idea behind this method is to develop a system through repeated cycles (iterative) and in smaller
portions at a time (incremental).
The following illustration is a representation of the Iterative and Incremental model −
Iterative and Incremental development is a combination of both iterative design or iterative
method and incremental build model for development. "During software development, more
than one iteration of the software development cycle may be in progress at the same time." This
process may be described as an "evolutionary acquisition" or "incremental build" approach."
In this incremental model, the whole requirement is divided into various builds. During each
iteration, the development module goes through the requirements, design, implementation and
testing phases. Each subsequent release of the module adds function to the previous release. The
process continues till the complete system is ready as per the requirement.
The key to a successful use of an iterative software development lifecycle is rigorous validation
of requirements, and verification & testing of each version of the software against those
requirements within each cycle of the model. As the software evolves through successive
cycles, tests must be repeated and extended to verify each version of the software.

Iterative Model - Application

Like other SDLC models, Iterative and incremental development has some specific applications
in the software industry. This model is most often used in the following scenarios −
• Requirements of the complete system are clearly defined and understood.
• Major requirements must be defined; however, some functionalities or requested
enhancements may evolve with time.
• There is a time to the market constraint.
• A new technology is being used and is being learnt by the development team while
working on the project.
 • Resources with needed skill sets are not available and are planned to be used on contract
basis for specific iterations.
• There are some high-risk features and goals which may change in the future.

Iterative Model - Pros and Cons

The advantage of this model is that there is a working model of the system at a very early stage
of development, which makes it easier to find functional or design flaws. Finding issues at an
early stage of development enables to take corrective measures in a limited budget.
The disadvantage with this SDLC model is that it is applicable only to large and bulky software
development projects. This is because it is hard to break a small software system into further
small serviceable increments/modules.
The advantages of the Iterative and Incremental SDLC Model are as follows −
• Some working functionality can be developed quickly and early in the life cycle.
• Results are obtained early and periodically.
• Parallel development can be planned.
• Progress can be measured.
• Less costly to change the scope/requirements.
• Testing and debugging during smaller iteration is easy.
• Risks are identified and resolved during iteration; and each iteration is an easily managed
milestone.
• Easier to manage risk - High risk part is done first.
• With every increment, operational product is delivered.
• Issues, challenges and risks identified from each increment can be utilized/applied to the
next increment.
• Risk analysis is better.
• It supports changing requirements.
• Initial Operating time is less.
• Better suited for large and mission-critical projects.
• During the life cycle, software is produced early which facilitates customer evaluation
and feedback.
The disadvantages of the Iterative and Incremental SDLC Model are as follows −
• More resources may be required.
• Although cost of change is lesser, but it is not very suitable for changing requirements.
• More management attention is required.
• System architecture or design issues may arise because not all requirements are gathered
in the beginning of the entire life cycle.
• Defining increments may require definition of the complete system.
• Not suitable for smaller projects.
• Management complexity is more.
• End of project may not be known which is a risk.
• Highly skilled resources are required for risk analysis.
• Projects progress is highly dependent upon the risk analysis phase.
•

Spiral Model
Spiral Model - Design

The spiral model has four phases. A software project repeatedly passes through these phases in
iterations called Spirals.

Identification

This phase starts with gathering the business requirements in the baseline spiral. In the
subsequent spirals as the product matures, identification of system requirements, subsystem
requirements and unit requirements are all done in this phase.
This phase also includes understanding the system requirements by continuous communication
between the customer and the system analyst. At the end of the spiral, the product is deployed in
the identified market.

Design

The Design phase starts with the conceptual design in the baseline spiral and involves
architectural design, logical design of modules, physical product design and the final design in
the subsequent spirals.
Construct or Build

The Construct phase refers to production of the actual software product at every spiral. In the
baseline spiral, when the product is just thought of and the design is being developed a POC
(Proof of Concept) is developed in this phase to get customer feedback.
Then in the subsequent spirals with higher clarity on requirements and design details a working
model of the software called build is produced with a version number. These builds are sent to
the customer for feedback.

Evaluation and Risk Analysis

Risk Analysis includes identifying, estimating and monitoring the technical feasibility and
management risks, such as schedule slippage and cost overrun. After testing the build, at the
end of first iteration, the customer evaluates the software and provides feedback.

The following illustration is a representation of the Spiral Model, listing the activities in each
phase.
Based on the customer evaluation, the software development process enters the next iteration
and subsequently follows the linear approach to implement the feedback suggested by the
customer. The process of iterations along the spiral continues throughout the life of the
software.

Spiral Model Application

The Spiral Model is widely used in the software industry as it is in sync with the natural
development process of any product, i.e. learning with maturity which involves minimum risk
for the customer as well as the development firms.
The following pointers explain the typical uses of a Spiral Model −
• When there is a budget constraint and risk evaluation is important.
• For medium to high-risk projects.
• Long-term project commitment because of potential changes to economic priorities as
the requirements change with time.
• Customer is not sure of their requirements which is usually the case.
• Requirements are complex and need evaluation to get clarity.
• New product line which should be released in phases to get enough customer feedback.
• Significant changes are expected in the product during the development cycle.

Spiral Model - Pros and Cons

The advantage of spiral lifecycle model is that it allows elements of the product to be added in,
when they become available or known. This assures that there is no conflict with previous
requirements and design.
This method is consistent with approaches that have multiple software builds and releases
which allows making an orderly transition to a maintenance activity. Another positive aspect of
this method is that the spiral model forces an early user involvement in the system development
effort.
On the other side, it takes a very strict management to complete such products and there is a risk
of running the spiral in an indefinite loop. So, the discipline of change and the extent of taking
change requests is very important to develop and deploy the product successfully.
The advantages of the Spiral SDLC Model are as follows −
• Changing requirements can be accommodated.
• Allows extensive use of prototypes.
 • Requirements can be captured more accurately.
• Users see the system early.
• Development can be divided into smaller parts and the risky parts can be developed
earlier which helps in better risk management.
The disadvantages of the Spiral SDLC Model are as follows −
• Management is more complex.
• End of the project may not be known early.
• Not suitable for small or low risk projects and could be expensive for small projects.
• Process is complex
• Spiral may go on indefinitely.
• Large number of intermediate stages requires excessive documentation.
•

Agile Model
Agile SDLC model is a combination of iterative and incremental process models with focus on
process adaptability and customer satisfaction by rapid delivery of working software product.
Agile Methods break the product into small incremental builds. These builds are provided in
iterations. Each iteration typically lasts from about one to three weeks. Every iteration involves
cross functional teams working simultaneously on various areas like −

• Planning
• Requirements Analysis
• Design
• Coding
• Unit Testing and
• Acceptance Testing.
At the end of the iteration, a working product is displayed to the customer and important
stakeholders.

What is Agile?

Agile model believes that every project needs to be handled differently and the existing methods
need to be tailored to best suit the project requirements. In Agile, the tasks are divided to time
boxes (small time frames) to deliver specific features for a release.
Iterative approach is taken and working software build is delivered after each iteration. Each
build is incremental in terms of features; the final build holds all the features required by the
customer.

Here is a graphical illustration of the Agile Model −

The Agile thought process had started early in the software development and started becoming
popular with time due to its flexibility and adaptability.
The most popular Agile methods include Rational Unified Process (1994), Scrum (1995),
Crystal Clear, Extreme Programming (1996), Adaptive Software Development, Feature Driven
Development, and Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM) (1995). These are now
collectively referred to as Agile Methodologies, after the Agile Manifesto was published in
2001.
Following are the Agile Manifesto principles −
 • Individuals and interactions − In Agile development, self-organization and motivation
are important, as are interactions like co-location and pair programming.
• Working software − Demo working software is considered the best means of
communication with the customers to understand their requirements, instead of just
depending on documentation.
• Customer collaboration − As the requirements cannot be gathered completely in the
beginning of the project due to various factors, continuous customer interaction is very
important to get proper product requirements.
• Responding to change − Agile Development is focused on quick responses to change
and continuous development.

Agile Vs Traditional SDLC Models

Agile is based on the adaptive software development methods, whereas the traditional SDLC
models like the waterfall model is based on a predictive approach. Predictive teams in the
traditional SDLC models usually work with detailed planning and have a complete forecast of
the exact tasks and features to be delivered in the next few months or during the product life
cycle.
Predictive methods entirely depend on the requirement analysis and planning done in the
beginning of cycle. Any changes to be incorporated go through a strict change control
management and prioritization.
Agile uses an adaptive approach where there is no detailed planning and there is clarity on
future tasks only in respect of what features need to be developed. There is feature driven
development and the team adapts to the changing product requirements dynamically. The
product is tested very frequently, through the release iterations, minimizing the risk of any
major failures in future.
Customer Interaction is the backbone of this Agile methodology, and open communication
with minimum documentation are the typical features of Agile development environment. The
agile teams work in close collaboration with each other and are most often located in the same
geographical location.

Agile Model - Pros and Cons

Agile methods are being widely accepted in the software world recently. However, this method
may not always be suitable for all products. Here are some pros and cons of the Agile model.
The advantages of the Agile Model are as follows −
• Is a very realistic approach to software development.
 • Promotes teamwork and cross training.
• Functionality can be developed rapidly and demonstrated.
• Resource requirements are minimum.
• Suitable for fixed or changing requirements
• Delivers early partial working solutions.
• Good model for environments that change steadily.
• Minimal rules, documentation easily employed.
• Enables concurrent development and delivery within an overall planned context.
• Little or no planning required.
• Easy to manage.
• Gives flexibility to developers.
The disadvantages of the Agile Model are as follows −
• Not suitable for handling complex dependencies.
• More risk of sustainability, maintainability and extensibility.
• An overall plan, an agile leader and agile PM practice is a must without which it will not
work.
• Strict delivery management dictates the scope, functionality to be delivered, and
adjustments to meet the deadlines.
• Depends heavily on customer interaction, so if customer is not clear, team can be driven
in the wrong direction.
• There is a very high individual dependency, since there is minimum documentation
generated.
• Transfer of technology to new team members may be quite challenging due to lack of
documentation.

RAD Model
What is RAD?

Rapid application development is a software development methodology that uses minimal

planning in favor of rapid prototyping. A prototype is a working model that is functionally
equivalent to a component of the product.
In the RAD model, the functional modules are developed in parallel as prototypes and are
integrated to make the complete product for faster product delivery. Since there is no detailed
preplanning, it makes it easier to incorporate the changes within the development process.
RAD projects follow iterative and incremental model and have small teams comprising of
developers, domain experts, customer representatives and other IT resources working
progressively on their component or prototype.
The most important aspect for this model to be successful is to make sure that the prototypes
developed are reusable.

RAD Model Design

RAD model distributes the analysis, design, build and test phases into a series of short, iterative
development cycles.
Following are the various phases of the RAD Model −

Business Modelling

The business model for the product under development is designed in terms of flow of
information and the distribution of information between various business channels. A complete
business analysis is performed to find the vital information for business, how it can be obtained,
how and when is the information processed and what are the factors driving successful flow of
information.

Data Modelling

The information gathered in the Business Modelling phase is reviewed and analyzed to form
sets of data objects vital for the business. The attributes of all data sets is identified and defined.
The relation between these data objects are established and defined in detail in relevance to the
business model.

Process Modelling

The data object sets defined in the Data Modelling phase are converted to establish the business
information flow needed to achieve specific business objectives as per the business model. The
process model for any changes or enhancements to the data object sets is defined in this phase.
Process descriptions for adding, deleting, retrieving or modifying a data object are given.

Application Generation
The actual system is built and coding is done by using automation tools to convert process and
data models into actual prototypes.

Testing and Turnover

The overall testing time is reduced in the RAD model as the prototypes are independently tested
during every iteration. However, the data flow and the interfaces between all the components
need to be thoroughly tested with complete test coverage. Since most of the programming
components have already been tested, it reduces the risk of any major issues.
The following illustration describes the RAD Model in detail.

RAD Model Vs Traditional SDLC

The traditional SDLC follows a rigid process models with high emphasis on requirement
analysis and gathering before the coding starts. It puts pressure on the customer to sign off the
requirements before the project starts and the customer doesn’t get the feel of the product as
there is no working build available for a long time.
The customer may need some changes after he gets to see the software. However, the change
process is quite rigid and it may not be feasible to incorporate major changes in the product in
the traditional SDLC.
The RAD model focuses on iterative and incremental delivery of working models to the
customer. This results in rapid delivery to the customer and customer involvement during the
complete development cycle of product reducing the risk of non-conformance with the actual
user requirements.

RAD Model - Application

RAD model can be applied successfully to the projects in which clear modularization is
possible. If the project cannot be broken into modules, RAD may fail.
The following pointers describe the typical scenarios where RAD can be used −
• RAD should be used only when a system can be modularized to be delivered in an
incremental manner.
• It should be used if there is a high availability of designers for Modelling.
• It should be used only if the budget permits use of automated code generating tools.
• RAD SDLC model should be chosen only if domain experts are available with relevant
business knowledge.
• Should be used where the requirements change during the project and working
prototypes are to be presented to customer in small iterations of 2-3 months.

RAD Model - Pros and Cons

RAD model enables rapid delivery as it reduces the overall development time due to the
reusability of the components and parallel development. RAD works well only if high skilled
engineers are available and the customer is also committed to achieve the targeted prototype in
the given time frame. If there is commitment lacking on either side the model may fail.
The advantages of the RAD Model are as follows −
• Changing requirements can be accommodated.
• Progress can be measured.
• Iteration time can be short with use of powerful RAD tools.
• Productivity with fewer people in a short time.
• Reduced development time.
• Increases reusability of components.
• Quick initial reviews occur.
• Encourages customer feedback.
 • Integration from very beginning solves a lot of integration issues.
The disadvantages of the RAD Model are as follows −
• Dependency on technically strong team members for identifying business requirements.
• Only system that can be modularized can be built using RAD.
• Requires highly skilled developers/designers.
• High dependency on Modelling skills.
• Inapplicable to cheaper projects as cost of Modelling and automated code generation is
very high.
• Management complexity is more.
• Suitable for systems that are component based and scalable.
• Requires user involvement throughout the life cycle.
• Suitable for project requiring shorter development times.
Software Prototype Model

What is Software Prototyping?

Prototype is a working model of software with some limited functionality. The prototype does
not always hold the exact logic used in the actual software application and is an extra effort to
be considered under effort estimation.
Prototyping is used to allow the users evaluate developer proposals and try them out before
implementation. It also helps understand the requirements which are user specific and may not
have been considered by the developer during product design.
Following is a stepwise approach explained to design a software prototype.

Basic Requirement Identification

This step involves understanding the very basics product requirements especially in terms of
user interface. The more intricate details of the internal design and external aspects like
performance and security can be ignored at this stage.

Developing the initial Prototype

The initial Prototype is developed in this stage, where the very basic requirements are
showcased and user interfaces are provided. These features may not exactly work in the same
manner internally in the actual software developed. While, the workarounds are used to give the
same look and feel to the customer in the prototype developed.

Review of the Prototype

The prototype developed is then presented to the customer and the other important stakeholders
in the project. The feedback is collected in an organized manner and used for further
enhancements in the product under development.

Revise and Enhance the Prototype

The feedback and the review comments are discussed during this stage and some negotiations
happen with the customer based on factors like – time and budget constraints and technical
feasibility of the actual implementation. The changes accepted are again incorporated in the new
Prototype developed and the cycle repeats until the customer expectations are met.
Prototypes can have horizontal or vertical dimensions. A Horizontal prototype displays the user
interface for the product and gives a broader view of the entire system, without concentrating on
internal functions. A Vertical prototype on the other side is a detailed elaboration of a specific
function or a sub system in the product.
The purpose of both horizontal and vertical prototype is different. Horizontal prototypes are
used to get more information on the user interface level and the business requirements. It can
even be presented in the sales demos to get business in the market. Vertical prototypes are
technical in nature and are used to get details of the exact functioning of the sub systems. For
example, database requirements, interaction and data processing loads in a given sub system.

Software Prototyping - Types

There are different types of software prototypes used in the industry. Following are the major
software prototyping types used widely −

Throwaway/Rapid Prototyping

Throwaway prototyping is also called as rapid or close ended prototyping. This type of
prototyping uses very little efforts with minimum requirement analysis to build a prototype.
Once the actual requirements are understood, the prototype is discarded and the actual system is
developed with a much clear understanding of user requirements.

Evolutionary Prototyping

Evolutionary prototyping also called as breadboard prototyping is based on building actual

functional prototypes with minimal functionality in the beginning. The prototype developed
forms the heart of the future prototypes on top of which the entire system is built. By using
evolutionary prototyping, the well-understood requirements are included in the prototype and
the requirements are added as and when they are understood.

Incremental Prototyping

Incremental prototyping refers to building multiple functional prototypes of the various sub-
systems and then integrating all the available prototypes to form a complete system.

Extreme Prototyping

Extreme prototyping is used in the web development domain. It consists of three sequential
phases. First, a basic prototype with all the existing pages is presented in the HTML format.
Then the data processing is simulated using a prototype services layer. Finally, the services are
implemented and integrated to the final prototype. This process is called Extreme Prototyping
used to draw attention to the second phase of the process, where a fully functional UI is
developed with very little regard to the actual services.

Software Prototyping - Application

Software Prototyping is most useful in development of systems having high level of user
interactions such as online systems. Systems which need users to fill out forms or go through
various screens before data is processed can use prototyping very effectively to give the exact
look and feel even before the actual software is developed.
Software that involves too much of data processing and most of the functionality is internal with
very little user interface does not usually benefit from prototyping. Prototype development
could be an extra overhead in such projects and may need lot of extra efforts.

Software Prototyping - Pros and Cons

Software prototyping is used in typical cases and the decision should be taken very carefully so
that the efforts spent in building the prototype add considerable value to the final software
developed. The model has its own pros and cons discussed as follows.
The advantages of the Prototyping Model are as follows −
• Increased user involvement in the product even before its implementation.
• Since a working model of the system is displayed, the users get a better understanding of
the system being developed.
• Reduces time and cost as the defects can be detected much earlier.
• Quicker user feedback is available leading to better solutions.
 • Missing functionality can be identified easily.
• Confusing or difficult functions can be identified.
The Disadvantages of the Prototyping Model are as follows −
• Risk of insufficient requirement analysis owing to too much dependency on the
prototype.
• Users may get confused in the prototypes and actual systems.
• Practically, this methodology may increase the complexity of the system as scope of the
system may expand beyond original plans.
• Developers may try to reuse the existing prototypes to build the actual system, even
when it is not technically feasible.
• The effort invested in building prototypes may be too much if it is not monitored
properly.