CODE EXCEPTIONS

Software development methodology refers to a set method for solving information problems using a programming language. This study covers specific methods that scope the stages of analyzing, designing, developing, testing, documenting, implementing, and evaluating inside the intricate sphere of software engineering.

Several methodologies began to rise in the late 90′s and thus stimulated public attention particularly to software developers. Various combinations were formulated from old ideas, new ideas, and transmuted old ideas on every each methodology. Prior to that, they all emphasized close collaboration between the programmer team and business experts; face-to-face communication (as more efficient than written documentation); frequent delivery of new deployable business value; tight, self-organizing teams; and ways to craft the code and the team such that the inevitable requirements mix-ups were not being led into crisis. In elaborative relation from those details mentioned, Agile Software Development uncovers better ways of developing software by doing it and helping others do it. Such principles or values are being extracted out from it as follows:

The term Agile software development was coined in the year 2001, subsequently to the formulation of the Agile Manifesto. This is a group of software development methodologies based on iterative development, where requirements and solutions evolve through collaboration between self-organizing and cross-functional teams. The said Agile development generally promotes disciplined project management process that upholds such as:

As lots of studies and research are being carried out just for the betterment of the world of technology and information, agile development methods have grown technically by numbers of them. Henceforth, they promote mostly with development iterations, teamwork, collaboration, and process adaptability throughout the life-cycle of the project.

The said methods are very efficient and organized wherein they break tasks into small increments with minimal planning, and do not directly involve long-term planning. Iterations are short time frames, such as the “timeboxes”, that typically last from one to four weeks. Each iteration involves a team working through a full software development cycle including planning, requirements analysis, design, coding, unit testing, and acceptance testing when a working product is demonstrated to stakeholders. Thus, it utterly helps minimize overall risk, and lets the project adapt to changes quickly. Stakeholders produce documentation as required. Its goal is to have an available release after on every each iterations since multiples of them (products or new features) are expected to be released afterwards, regarding to the fact that a single iteration may not add enough functionality to warrant a guaranteed market release.

In relation about the collaboration between cross-functional and self-organizing team mentioned a while ago; a team composition in an agile project are usually of those that were mentioned, without consideration for any existing corporate hierarchy or the corporate roles of team members. Team members normally take responsibility for tasks that deliver the functionality an iteration requires. They decide individually how to meet an iteration’s requirements.

The methods thereof emphasize face-to-face communication over written documents when the team is all in the same location. When a team works in different locations, they maintain daily contact through video conferencing, voice, e-mail, etc.

Agile development teams mostly work in a single open office (called bullpen), which facilitates such communication. Each team is composed of members that typically ranges with 5-9 people to enable team communication and collaboration conveniently pliable. So it is then expected that larger development efforts may be delivered by multiple teams working toward a common goal or different parts of an effort. Coordination of priorities across teams is hence may be required for it.

Agile tools are being created in order to help development teams on their infinite search of the right and sufficient essential tools for software development.

To view complete list of Agile tools click  here