Waterfall Software Development Life Cycle
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The Waterfall Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is a linear and sequential approach to software development that follows a predetermined set of stages. Each stage must be completed before the next stage can begin, and once a stage is completed, it cannot be revisited. The Waterfall SDLC is often used for large and complex projects where a high degree of structure and control is required.
The Waterfall SDLC typically involves the following stages:
- Requirements Gathering: In this stage, the project team gathers and documents the requirements of the software.
- Design: In this stage, the team creates a detailed design of the software, including its architecture, data structures, interfaces, and algorithms.
- Implementation: In this stage, the team writes the code for the software, based on the design.
- Testing: In this stage, the team conducts testing of the software to ensure that it meets the requirements and is free of defects.
- Deployment: In this stage, the team deploys the software to the production environment and makes it available to the end users.
- Maintenance: In this stage, the team provides ongoing support and maintenance for the software, including bug fixes and updates.
The Waterfall SDLC provides a highly structured and disciplined approach to software development, with well-defined stages and deliverables. This approach can be beneficial for large and complex projects where a high degree of predictability and control is required. However, the Waterfall SDLC can also be inflexible and may not be suitable for projects that require agility and adaptability. Additionally, the Waterfall SDLC assumes that all requirements are known upfront, which may not be the case in practice.