Software Development Life Cycle or SDLC
Software Development Life Cycle is how teams deliver high-quality software at the lowest cost. The main difference in SDLC vs Prototyping is that SLDC has a structured workflow and helps organizations quickly deliver high-quality software that is tested and ready to deploy.
The SDLC has different models such as waterfall, spiral, and Agile. Each one includes at least six fundamental phases. These follow the best practices, and each stage ensures the software works in an efficient, smooth, and productive manner.
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1. Identify User Pain Points
It is the developer’s job to identify the problems they wish to address with their product. This stage includes all stakeholders, customers, salespeople, programing departments, and industry experts. The key is to learn the strengths and weaknesses of a current system by improving its solution.
2. Plan
In SDLC vs Prototyping, SLDC requires the team to determine the cost, resources, and other tools necessary for implementing the requirements. The system accounts for details of any risks and creates sub-plans to circumvent them. The team should determine the project feasibility and how the solution can succeed while minimizing the risks.
3. Design
The design stage includes drawing up concrete plans on how to execute the software. All software specifications are listed down, and the basic design is finalized. All stakeholders are supposed to review the project and offer suggestions. Developers must have a plan for collecting stakeholder input and incorporating it into the build at this point. Failure in the design stage can be very costly in the long run and might lead to a total collapse of the project.
4. Build
Actual development begins at the fourth stage one argument in SDLC’s favor in SDLC vs Prototyping is the development team needs to follow the blueprint down to the wire. It is the management’s responsibility to have proper guidelines regarding the code style and practices. They are responsible for defining the terminology for all files, setting variable names, and implementing workflows. The dedicated development team can only produce consistent and high-quality code when it is easier to understand the problem during the testing phase.
5. Code Testing
In traditional SDLC vs Prototyping, this is the stage where developers find out if there are any deficiencies, defects, or other bugs in the system. They are supposed to fix the issues and reiterate until the product meets all the specifications. A control group of users is also used to verify that the code meets the defined requirements. This stage is the developer’s last chance to test code quality and perform all the checks and balances.
6. Deployment
It is time to launch the software out into the intended environment. Users can begin using the product; however, some companies test it in different development and deployment environments. They are trying or staging their solution to play it safe with the stakeholders, and that point goes on the board for SDLC vs Prototyping. It gives them another chance to catch any mistakes before releasing them to the general public.
Pros and Cons of SDLC
PROS |
CONS |
Saves Costs and TimeIt is much more cost-effective for development teams to work with a traditional SDLC vs Prototyping because they will check all the items on their list as they go. It prevents teams from going back to the testing stages. |
Need Detailed PlanningIn the event that each stage of the development cycle is not planned appropriately, it can lead to higher costs and longer development cycles. Therefore, it is imperative that SDLC be extensively planned. |
Better Team WorkSLDC ensures that all team members are working together with complete coordination. Properly defined employee roles and transparency help minimize risks and project delays. |
Long Testing PhaseIf the code has many bugs or clients request developers to go in a different direction, it can take longer for developers to meet deadlines. |
Pros |
Saves Costs and TimeIt is much more cost-effective for development teams to work with a traditional SDLC vs Prototyping because they will check all the items on their list as they go. It saves teams a lot of trouble and prevents them from going back and forth between testing stages. |
Better Team WorkSLDC ensures that all team members are working together with complete coordination. Properly defined employee roles and transparency help minimize risks and project delays. |
Cons |
Needs Detailed PlanningIf every stage of the development cycle is not appropriately planned, it can lead to higher costs and more time. |
Long Testing PhaseIf the code has many bugs or clients request developers to go in a different direction, it can take longer for developers to meet deadlines. |
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Prototyping
A prototype is the basic working model of any software with limited but essential functionality. The prototype does not always follow the same logic as the actual software. Prototype model vs SDLC requires the development team to make an extra effort. Software prototyping is used to help users evaluate their developer proposals and test them before implementation. It helps everyone understand the user-specific requirements they might not have included in the plans during product design.
Stages of Prototyping
There are several steps involved in designing a software prototype. These count as differences in SDLC vs Prototyping.
1. Identify Basic Requirements
During this stage, the development team must understand the basic product requirements regarding the user interface. They will be handling all the details regarding the internal design and leaving the external aspects such as performance and security for a later stage.
2. Develop the Prototype
The Prototype model vs SDLC is developed during this stage, and it showcases the primary user interface requirements. These features might not work in the same way in the final version of the software. Teams can use a few workarounds to get the same look and feel to the user as the actual software in SDLC vs Prototyping.
3. Review the Prototype
The prototype is developed and presented to the customer and other important stakeholders involved in the project. Their feedback is recorded and organized for future improvements. The prototype is still under development at this stage.
4. Improve the Prototype
The feedback and comments from the review are discussed at this point, and negotiations are made with the client based on time, budget, technical constraints. The feasibility of the implementation is concerned, and changes are incorporated in the new version of the prototype. The entire cycle repeats itself until the client or user is completely satisfied with all the features, which creates an argument for SDLC vs Prototyping.
Prototype model vs SDLC uses horizontal or vertical dimensions. The horizontal prototype presents the user interface for the product to provide a broader view of the system. It does not concentrate on the internal functions of the software. On the other hand, the vertical prototype includes a detailed description of every specific process or subsystem that exists in the product.
Both the horizontal and vertical prototypes serve different purposes. The horizontal prototype obtains more information from the user interface while the other one fulfills the business requirements. It is presented in the sales demos to attract investors and funding organizations. Vertical prototypes are more technical and can be used to obtain the details of the exact functioning of the system. It includes database requirements, function interaction, and data processing loads involved in every feature.
Pros and Cons of Prototyping
PROS |
CONS |
Gain Investor ApprovalHumans prefer visual aids, and seeing a concept in a tangible form can help investors decide. They will not be going through documentation pages to validate the idea, and a prototype allows them to see it for themselves. |
Only RepresentationsYou might discover that the team members, investors, or stakeholders are surprised when the product quality is inconsistent with the prototype. It is essential to know that prototypes provide a similar experience but with limited functionality. In SDLC vs Prototyping, the prototype’s purpose is to get the idea across, and they are only representative of the concept. |
Save MoneyPrototyping helps teams identify the problems during the design stage. They can determine which features are essential and which ones the users do not want and calibrate their approach. |
Feedback is EssentialAlthough constant feedback and responsiveness bode well for the final product, it might be challenging to get helpful advice. After completing each prototype cycle, developers will have to explain what works and what doesn’t. |
Pros |
Gain Investor ApprovalHumans prefer visual aids, and seeing a concept in a tangible form can help investors decide. They will not be going through documentation pages to validate the idea, and a prototype allows them to see it for themselves. |
Save MoneyPrototyping helps teams identify the problems during the design stage. They can determine which features are essential and which ones the users do not want and calibrate their approach. |
Cons |
Only RepresentationsYou might discover that the team members, investors, or stakeholders are surprised when the product quality is inconsistent with the prototype. It is essential to know that prototypes provide a similar experience but with limited functionality. In SDLC vs Prototyping, the prototype’s purpose is to get the idea across, and they are only representative of the concept. |
Feedback is EssentialAlthough constant feedback and responsiveness bode well for the final product, it might be challenging to get helpful advice. After completing each prototype cycle, developers will have to explain what works and what doesn’t. |