Understand software development methods (agile, waterfall, RAD)

Waterfall Method 🏗️

Think of building a house: you finish the foundation, then the walls, then the roof, and you rarely go back to change the foundation once it’s set.

1. Requirements gathering
2. System design
3. Implementation (coding)
4. Testing
5. Deployment
6. Maintenance

Each stage must be completed before the next one starts.

Agile Method 🔄

Imagine building a Lego set: you add pieces, test them, and adjust as you go. Agile welcomes change and delivers small, usable parts quickly.

1. Product backlog creation
2. Iteration planning (sprint)
3. Development & daily stand‑ups
4. Iteration review & demo
5. Retrospective & improvement

Iterations are short (1–4 weeks) and repeat until the product is complete.

Rapid Application Development (RAD) ⚡

Think of cooking a quick stir‑fry: you use pre‑cut veggies and a ready‑made sauce, so you can serve the dish fast.

1. Requirements planning
2. Rapid prototyping
3. Iterative testing & refinement
4. Final build & deployment

RAD focuses on speed and user involvement, often using reusable components.

General Exam Tips

• Define each method clearly.
• Use the key terms (e.g., “iteration”, “prototype”, “linear”).
• Compare and contrast using a table or bullet points.
• Give a real‑world example for each method.
• Remember the main advantage and disadvantage of each.