Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

The Software Development Life Cycle is a systematic process for planning, creating, testing, and deploying software systems.

SDLC Phases

1. Planning

• Define project scope and objectives
• Identify stakeholders and requirements
• Create project timeline and resource allocation
• Risk assessment and mitigation planning

2. Analysis

• Gather detailed requirements
• Document functional and non-functional requirements
• Create use cases and user stories
• Define acceptance criteria

3. Design

• System architecture design
• Database schema design
• API contract definition
• UI/UX wireframes and mockups
• Technical specification documents

4. Development (Implementation)

• Write code following design specifications
• Follow coding standards and best practices
• Version control with Git
• Code reviews and pair programming

5. Testing

• Unit testing
• Integration testing
• System testing
• User acceptance testing (UAT)
• Performance and security testing

6. Deployment

• Environment preparation
• Database migrations
• Application deployment
• Configuration management
• Smoke testing in production

7. Maintenance

• Bug fixes and patches
• Performance optimization
• Feature enhancements
• Technical debt management
• Documentation updates

SDLC Models

Waterfall Model

Sequential phases, each must complete before next begins.

Planning → Analysis → Design → Development → Testing → Deployment → Maintenance

Agile/Scrum

Iterative development with sprints (2-4 weeks).

Sprint Planning → Development → Testing → Review → Retrospective → Repeat

DevOps/CI-CD

Continuous integration and deployment.

Code → Build → Test → Release → Deploy → Monitor → Feedback → Code

Best Practices

1. Clear Requirements - Document and validate before coding
2. Version Control - Use Git with branching strategies
3. Automated Testing - CI/CD pipelines with test automation
4. Code Reviews - Mandatory peer reviews before merge
5. Documentation - Keep docs updated with code changes
6. Monitoring - Implement logging and alerting

Sources

• Arhitectura/sdlc.gif