Nowadays, whenever we talk about any new project, the name of agile methodology comes first. It is a method that has revolutionized the world of software development. Projects that are based on agile have a success rate of up to 64%, and only 9% of projects fail.
Most of the companies want to use it in their projects because many successful projects have been developed through it. The specialty of Agile Methodology is that it emphasizes flexibility and collaboration, which allows projects to be completed on time and effectively.
Welcome to today's blog series on the stages of agile methodology. In this blog, we will see how software is developed after planning and designing?, How the software we design is turned into reality?, How the problems are solved? and how testing is done? all this is going to be very informative.
So let's get started!
What is the Agile Development Phase?
The agile development phase is such a process when the basic work of the software starts and till now we have to develop the reality by planning or designing the software.
Just like when we give a contract to a builder to build a house, his design is prepared according to our requirements and needs, when the real work of building starts, it is called the development process, where developers write code.
They start it, create new features, and integrate different software parts. We completed the Planning phase for our software, and now, based on that planning, the design prepared in the Design phase is ready to be developed in this phase.
We know you have many questions in your mind about whether the software is created exactly as it was designed and how this process works, don't you?
So the answer is no, when complex bugs or errors appear in the software, when the requirements of the client change when the market trends change or there can be any number of reasons why the software Development changes have to be made.
Goals and Objectives of the Development Phase
- Goals
- Transforming a prototype created in the design phase into a real, working system.
- After completing the development, sending the system to the testing phase.
- Objectives
- Converting the plan prepared in the design phase into an actual system.
- Assembling and testing various parts so that they work together correctly.
- Setup required hardware and software for the system.
- When development is complete, obtain permission to advance the system to the testing phase.
Key Components of the Agile Development Phase
Let us try to understand the agile development best practices that will further improve your development process.
1. Design and Coding
- User Experience (UX) Design: UX design means creating an easy and understandable user experience. If you are using an app for the first time and you should immediately understand what function it serves and it is attractive in showing it, it does not mean that there should not be any complexity while using it.
- UX designers help us create wireframes to help us understand how our software will look and work. In this process, maximum focus has been given to ensure that the user does not face any problems while using the app and everything is easily understood.
- User Interface (UI) Design: UI design focuses on the main visual elements of the application, such as colors, shapes, buttons, and images. UI designers ensure that the app looks attractive and matches its branding. Its main purpose is to make the software attractive to the user by looking at it and to easily understand all its features or functionalities.
- Coding: Coding converts the designs and plans we have made into actual software. This includes front-end and back-end coding. Front-end coding is what the user sees directly, meaning app features, app layout, buttons, animations, and icons, and includes some images or graphics to interact with.
- Back-end coding is what is done before, like data management, and server communication, and which focuses on everything you can't see on a website. Both together create a complete application that fulfills the needs of the user.
2. Iterative Development
- Breaking Down Tasks: In the development phase, big work is broken into smaller tasks. Its advantage is that every task can be easily managed and tracked. For example, if a big feature has to be developed, it is broken into smaller parts and developed step by step. This approach makes development systematic and manageable.
- Continuous Integration: Code is merged at regular intervals during development. Its advantage is that if someone cares about the code, it can be quickly found and fixed. Regular integration keeps the development process smooth and the end product is of high quality.
3. Collaboration and Communication
- Cross-Functional Teams: In the agile development phase, the types of expertise involved are responsible for the development of the software, along with which the software application performs the core functions, such as developers, designers, and project managers. This cross-functional team confirms that every aspect of the project is working correctly. Team members brainstorm together, come up with solutions, and solve problems, thereby increasing the quality of the project.
- Daily Stand-ups: Daily stand-ups are small meetings where team members share their progress and discuss challenges. Its objective is to keep all members informed about the status of the project so that if any problem arises it can be resolved immediately. These meetings enhance team coordination and communication, making the development process efficient.
The key components of the development phase are essential because they ensure that the software is being built systematically and efficiently. Through Design and Coding, we create visual and functional elements, which give the user a good experience.
Iterative development divides the work into smaller tasks, which makes management and progress tracking easier. Collaboration and Communication lead to better understanding and coordination among team members, which is important for the successful completion of the project.
Role of Testing in the Agile Methodology
Testing is very important during and after the development process. The purpose of testing is to ensure that the software is working properly to identify errors or bugs and fix them. This testing and feedback process ensures that the software works well till the end.
Testing During the Development Process
- Unit Testing
- Unit testing is a process in which developers test small parts of the code, i.e. "units." Each unit means a specific function or module, which is tested separately. This helps developers ensure that each unit is functioning properly and delivering the expected output.
- Unit testing is important because it catches bugs and issues at the initial stage of development. Its advantage is that there are fewer problems in the later stages. If unit testing is not done, then small mistakes can accumulate and end up causing bigger issues. Early detection also makes fixing easier, which makes the overall development process efficient.
- Integration Testing
- The purpose of integration testing is to connect different units or modules and test them together. It is seen that when these modules work together, they are giving the expected output and whether their interaction with each other is correct or not.
- Integration testing ensures that different modules or components are communicating correctly with each other. Like, if one module is sending data and the other is receiving it, whether the data is being transferred correctly or not. If this testing does not occur, mismatches or conflicts may occur between modules, which may affect the overall system.
- Continuous Testing
- In Agile methodology, continuous testing is an ongoing process where software is tested after each sprint of development. A Sprint is a specific period in which certain specific features or parts are developed.
- The advantage of continuous testing is that feedback is received during development. This makes errors and issues quickly detected and corrected. A continuous feedback loop increases agility in the development process and makes it flexible to implement changes.
Testing After the Agile Development Process
- System Testing
- In system testing the software is tested as a whole. This means that all the modules and components of the software are tested together to see whether they work well together or whether they still require any improvements.
- System testing shows whether the software is meeting the needs and expectations of the end user.
- User Acceptance Testing (UAT)
- End users or stakeholders test the software in UAT. They see whether the software is meeting their needs and expectations or not. In this testing, real users use the software so that they can provide feedback.
- User acceptance testing confirms that the software is useful and they can use it easily. This testing provides an opportunity to make minor changes before the product launch, ensuring user satisfaction. If users find any issues or fixes, they can immediately report them and the developers can fix it.
- Regression Testing
- Regression testing is done when any kind of new feature or function is added to the software or any problem is solved to see whether any changes or issues are occurring in the whole software. Through this testing, the stability and reliability of the software is maintained.
Development is totally incomplete without testing because it helps in finding process errors and bugs and fixing them, which makes the end product robust and user-friendly. Without testing how can we find the software issue if we launch or deliver any software without any testing so there are high chances of bugs or problems.
Testing is an integral part of the development process to make sure that the software provides high-quality functionalities and meets user expectations.
Roles and Responsibilities in the Agile Development and Testing Phase
1. Project Manager
2. Developers
3. Quality Assurance (QA) Team
4. Stakeholders
Challenges in the Agile Development Process
- Scope Creep: Adding new features or changes after the project has started can cause delays and increased costs.
- Integration Issues: Not working properly with different modules can lead to system failures.
- Technical Debt: Outdated or poor-quality code can make future changes difficult and expensive.
- Communication Gaps: Misunderstandings have led to incorrect implementation and rework.
- Resource Constraints: Limited time, budget, or personnel require features to be prioritized, which can impact product quality.
- Quality Assurance: Finding bugs and issues during testing can affect the quality of the final product and fixing them can be complicated also.
- Changing Requirements: Customer requirements keep changing which may lead to frequent changes in the development process which may lead to further delays.
- Team Coordination: Lack of coordination and communication between different team members and various departments can slow down the development process.
Conclusion
The development phase in agile is very important to ensure that your project is successful. During the development phase, your team builds codes about the software, turning design concepts into a functioning application. This phase involves continuous collaboration, coding, and frequent reviews to make sure everything goes perfectly according to the project goals.
Once development is complete, the testing phase begins. Here the main focus to identifying and fixing any bugs or errors that might affect the product's performance and quality. Testing ensures that the final product meets the required requirements and performs reliably in real-world scenarios.
Together, this software helps create a robust and user-friendly product, ensuring that it provides value and meets users' capabilities effectively.
So let's meet in the next blog series, where we try to provide the latest and trendy informative blogs. Take care till then. See you soon goodbye!
