The Origins of Waterfall Development
The waterfall development approach was invented by computer scientist Winston Royce in 1970. Winston Royce didn’t refer directly to the method in his work as waterfall development. This article spoke about an approach that was flawed for software development. Royce’s initial technique truly allowed for more repetition between stages of the model, which Waterfall doesn’t let you do. Winston Royce’s true technique was more iterative in how it functioned and gave greater opportunity to shift between stages.
Waterfall: Sequential Development Model
We will explore a more frequent method of working when we investigate the Agile method. Although Royce didn’t refer to this model as the waterfall mode precisely, he is credited with the first description of what we refer to as the waterfall model. This traditional technique of software development takes a linear and sequential approach to program development. In the software development sector, this approach is one of the most commonly used and early techniques. Waterfall models consist of a sequence of steps that are completed sequentially, and each step typically feeds into the next.
Phases of Waterfall Development
Royce’s original work includes the following phases, which we’ll get into more detail on in a moment. Those stages are the requirements.
Specification:
In this phase, the project’s requirements are collected and recorded in detail. This comprises explaining what the software is supposed to accomplish, its features and functionalities, and any boundaries or limitations.
Design:
Once the requirements are determined, the system’s architecture and design are planned. This entails defining high-level and detailed designs of the program, its components, interfaces, and data structures.
Implementation:
The real coding of the software takes place at this stage. Developers produce the source code depending on the design requirements. This phase also incorporates unit testing, where individual components are tested for correctness.
Testing:
The software undergoes rigorous testing to ensure that it fulfills the provided requirements and works correctly. This testing involves many layers, such as integration testing (testing how components perform together), system testing (testing the full system), and user acceptance testing (ensuring the software satisfies user requests).
Deployment:
Once the testing process is complete, the software is deployed to the production environment or made available to users. This phase comprises activities including installation, setup, and training.
Maintenance:
After deployment, the software requires continual maintenance and support. This phase could entail correcting errors, resolving difficulties, offering new features, and responding to changes in the environment.
Challenges and Criticisms of Waterfall Development
One of the fundamental elements of the waterfall model is its tight linear growth from one phase to the next. Each phase is generally completed before continuing on to the next, and it’s challenging to go back to a former phase once it’s done. This could lead to challenges if there are adjustments or unforeseen concerns that occur during the project, as the model doesn’t handle flexibility and adaptability well.
While the waterfall technique has been criticized for its lack of flexibility, it may work successfully for projects with well-defined goals and when revisions are small. However, in more intricate and dynamic projects, other methodologies like Agile have gained more popularity thanks to their iterative and flexible nature.
