Software is the increasing intermediary between information and human intelligence. In principle, software is a computer program or a set of them that have a specific purpose, which is to process the texts we use, the recording controller of our favorite spaces or the applications that allow us to operate a cell phone. Software development and design is the activity aimed at creating these computer programs.
Software is composed of a set of instructions that the user performs to execute a specific function. Normally programmers write in a binary language, the only one that machines understand. The set of commands in the language that everyone works in is called Source Code. If you do not access the code you can only use the program, you cannot see how it is made or enter comments.
Those who are in charge of software development and design must be constantly informed, since technology is not static and is frequently innovating, hence software development and design should take into account the subsequent evolution of the system.
For a software development and design process to be favorable, it must have the following characteristics:
- Clarity
The development process is clear when it is easily understood.
- Visibility
It is visible when its activities produce clear externally identifiable results.
- Ease of Support
It requires the availability of CASE (Computer-Aided Software Engineering) tools that support all or some of the activities of the development process.
- Reliability
A development process is reliable when it is capable of detecting possible errors.
- Maintainability
Requires the ability to incorporate new requirements or modify some or some existing ones.
- Speed
A software process is fast when it is possible to obtain from the specification, a system implementation in a reduced time.
Who is involved in the software development process?
When a software is going to be developed, many people are involved such as:
- The Customer
It is the one who has the problem in his company and wants to solve it.
- The Systems Analyst
He is the one in charge of sending all the requirements and needs that the client has to the programmers.
- The Programmers
They are the people in charge of coding and designing the system and then testing and installing it for the client.
As we can see, several people have to be involved, since only one person could not do everything necessary, because it is most likely that some additional omissions or corrections are missing, and the more people are involved, the better to cover all the requirements of the system.
So far, we see that the most important thing is to be very clear about the requirements and needs of the company, and have a good team of people who know the subject, who work with honesty and responsibility, who have an excellent understanding of the subject to know what are the possible errors that can be generated and have a plan B to improve it, to eliminate all failures that may occur, because a program will have fewer errors, will have a better quality, and customers will be satisfied and will position those who made it.
This article is part of the ITSoftware SAS knowledge diffusion service.