SDLC Life Cycle for Beginners | Software Development Life Cycle with Real life example

Summary

In this video from Gate Smashers, the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is explained in detail. The speaker emphasizes the real-life importance of SDLC, especially for startups and entrepreneurship. The SDLC process includes planning, defining, designing, coding, testing, deployment, and maintenance, highlighting the systematic approach needed to meet customer requirements efficiently. The video covers various SDLC models like the waterfall, prototype, spiral, RAD, V-model, and agile, making the theoretical concepts relatable with practical examples. The aim is to show viewers how critical SDLC is in the real world and not just for passing exams.

Takeaways

• 📚 The Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is a systematic process that is crucial in real-life scenarios, especially in startups and entrepreneurship.
• 🎓 Initially, the speaker did not value SDLC due to its theoretical nature, but later realized its importance through personal experience.
• 💡 The SDLC is essential for satisfying customer requirements, managing costs, and working within a set timeframe.
• 🔍 The first phase of SDLC is the Planning phase, where ideas are conceptualized and initial requirements are gathered.
• 🗣️ Communication between the customer and service provider is key, starting with informal or formal discussions to understand the project scope.
• 📝 After the planning and initial discussions, the Analysis phase follows, where requirements are shared, estimated, and documented in the Software Requirements Specification (SRS).
• 🛠️ The Design phase is primarily the service provider's responsibility, focusing on the software's structure, including cohesion, coupling, and design elements like DFDs and UML diagrams.
• 👨‍💻 The Implementation phase involves coding and using the latest technologies to develop the software according to the design specifications.
• 🔬 Testing is a critical phase to ensure the software functions as intended, with various testing methods such as unit, integration, system, and user acceptance testing.
• 🚀 Deployment marks the release of the software, but it is accompanied by maintenance and technical support to address any issues post-launch.
• 🔄 Maintenance is an ongoing phase where changes and updates are made based on customer feedback and technical needs, often with a support period and potential additional costs.

Q & A

What is SDLC and why is it important in software development?

SDLC stands for Software Development Life Cycle. It is a systematic process used to develop a software product, ensuring that the customer's requirements are met efficiently and effectively. It is important because it helps in managing costs, time, and resources, and ensures the delivery of a quality product that meets the customer's expectations.

Why did the speaker initially hesitate to start the SDLC subject?

The speaker initially hesitated to start the SDLC subject because they did not study it with interest during their B.Tech and felt it was just a theoretical subject without much practical application. However, their perspective changed when they realized its importance through their own experiences in entrepreneurship and startups.

What are the two main entities involved in the SDLC process?

The two main entities involved in the SDLC process are the customer and the service provider. The customer is the one who has the requirement for the software, and the service provider is the team or company that develops the software to meet the customer's needs.

What is the first phase of the SDLC process and what does it involve?

The first phase of the SDLC process is the Planning phase. It involves initial brainstorming and conceptualization of the software idea, defining the scope of the project, estimating costs and time, and identifying the resources required.

What is SRS documentation and why is it important?

SRS stands for Software Requirements Specification. It is a formal document that outlines the detailed requirements of the software project. It is important because it serves as a contract between the customer and the service provider, ensuring that both parties have a clear understanding of what is expected from the project.

What is the role of the customer in the Designing phase?

In the Designing phase, the customer's role is less direct. They may provide input on the design, such as the desired look and feel of the software or specific features. However, the main responsibility lies with the service provider, who uses this input to create detailed designs, including module layouts, cohesion and coupling, and other design specifications.

Why is the Testing phase crucial in the SDLC process?

The Testing phase is crucial because it ensures that the software product is free from defects and meets all the specified requirements. It helps identify any issues or missing features before the product is deployed, which can save time and resources in the long run.

What is the purpose of the Maintenance phase in SDLC?

The Maintenance phase is intended to provide ongoing support for the software product after it has been deployed. It includes fixing any bugs that users encounter, updating the software to meet changing requirements, and providing technical support to the users.

What are some of the different SDLC models mentioned in the script?

Some of the different SDLC models mentioned in the script include the Waterfall model, Iterative Waterfall, Prototype model, Spiral model, RAD (Rapid Application Development), V-model, and Agile.

How does the speaker's perspective on SDLC change from their academic days to their professional life?

The speaker's perspective on SDLC changes significantly from their academic days to their professional life. Initially, they viewed it as a theoretical subject with little practical value. However, through their experiences in startups and entrepreneurship, they realized the practical importance of SDLC in ensuring the systematic development and successful deployment of software products.

Outlines

00:00

🚀 Introduction to SDLC and Its Real-Life Importance

In this video, the speaker introduces the concept of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) and its significance in software engineering. He shares personal experiences, explaining how his understanding of SDLC evolved from seeing it as mere theory to recognizing its critical importance in real-life applications, particularly in startups and entrepreneurship. The speaker emphasizes that SDLC involves a systematic approach through various phases, each crucial for meeting customer requirements, managing costs, and ensuring timely delivery.

05:00

🔍 Defining and Analyzing Requirements

The speaker discusses the defining or analysis phase of SDLC, where the service provider understands and documents the customer's requirements. This phase includes sharing the requirements with the team, estimating costs and time using methods like COCOMO and function points, and negotiating with the customer. A formal document, the SRS (Software Requirements Specification), is created, detailing the modules and requirements. The speaker explains that while the customer can still make changes, excessive modifications can cause delays. The focus then shifts to the designing phase, where the service provider creates detailed layouts and plans for implementation.

10:03

🛠️ Designing, Coding, and Testing Phases

In the designing phase, the service provider takes the lead, creating cohesive and well-structured designs using DFDs, UML, and ER models. These designs guide the coding and implementation phase, where the latest technologies and techniques are used. The speaker highlights the importance of the testing phase, which includes various types of testing (unit, integration, system, alpha, beta, white box, and black box testing) to ensure the product functions correctly before deployment. Once deployed, the product is maintained, often including technical support and updates based on user feedback.

🔄 Maintenance and Practical Importance of SDLC

The final phase of SDLC involves maintenance, where technical support is provided, and changes or updates are made as needed. The speaker reiterates the importance of SDLC in real-life scenarios, emphasizing that what might seem like theoretical knowledge in college becomes crucial in professional settings. Understanding SDLC helps in systematic project management, efficient communication with service providers, and successful product development. The speaker concludes by mentioning different SDLC models like the waterfall, iterative, prototype, spiral, RAD, V-model, and agile, each with its own theoretical and practical applications.

Keywords

💡Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

The SDLC is a process used in software engineering to design, develop, test, and deploy software. It is crucial because it ensures that software is developed systematically and efficiently, meeting customer requirements and maintaining quality standards. The video emphasizes that understanding SDLC is essential for both software development and entrepreneurship, illustrating its phases with real-life examples to show its practical importance.

💡Planning Phase

This is the initial phase of the SDLC where the project’s goals, scope, and objectives are defined. The speaker highlights the importance of planning by detailing how they plan their YouTube channel’s future courses, including budgeting and resource allocation. Effective planning ensures that the project is feasible and aligns with the client’s vision and constraints.

💡Customer and Service Provider

In the context of SDLC, the customer is the entity requesting the software, while the service provider is the team or company developing it. The video discusses how these roles interact during the development process, such as negotiating requirements and costs. This relationship is fundamental to ensuring that the software meets the customer's needs and expectations.

💡SRS (Software Requirements Specification)

The SRS is a document that clearly and formally describes the functionalities and constraints of the software to be developed. It is created during the defining or analysis phase of SDLC. The video mentions SRS as a crucial step where the customer's verbal requirements are translated into a detailed written format to guide the development process.

💡Designing Phase

In this phase, the software’s architecture is planned, including its layout, modules, and components. The speaker compares this to creating a map before building a house. It involves detailed planning of how the software will function and interact, which is essential for guiding the subsequent coding and implementation efforts.

💡Coding and Implementation

This phase involves writing the actual code and converting the design into a functional software product. The video highlights that this phase uses the latest technologies and techniques to ensure the software is robust and efficient. It also points out that having a well-thought-out design phase is crucial for successful coding and implementation.

💡Testing Phase

Testing involves verifying that the software works as intended and is free of defects. The video describes various testing types like unit, integration, system, and user acceptance testing. This phase is vital for identifying and fixing issues before the software is deployed, ensuring that it meets quality standards and customer expectations.

💡Deployment

Deployment is the process of delivering the software to the customer and making it operational in the live environment. The video explains that after testing, the software is deployed, and the customer is given a demonstration of its features. This phase ensures that the software is ready for use and performs as expected in the real world.

💡Maintenance

Maintenance involves updating and refining the software after deployment to fix bugs, improve performance, or adapt to new requirements. The speaker notes that technical support and ongoing maintenance are often part of the service agreement, with initial support included and additional changes possibly incurring further costs. This phase ensures the software remains effective and relevant over time.

💡Models of SDLC

SDLC models provide structured approaches to software development, such as the Waterfall, Spiral, and Agile models. The video mentions several models, each with different methodologies for managing the phases of development. Understanding these models helps in choosing the right approach for a project, ensuring efficient and effective software development.

Highlights

Introduction to SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle) and its importance in real-life scenarios.

Transcripts

Dear students welcome to Gate Smashers

In this video I am going to explain

SDLC that is Software Development Life Cycle

If we talk about this topic

Or even if talk about software engineering

This subject is a lot in demand

We get a lot of comments

We also get a lot of mails

That start this subject

But if tell you personally and genuinely

I had not started this subject because

I have not studied this subject with heart

Whenever we used to study this subject in B.Tech

Or whenever we have studied

We have studied just to pass the exam

We always used to feel that

This is theory so you can just mug up the theory

What is it's importance in real life

Where is it used

What is it's purpose actually

That we had not seen

Actually we had never felt

But if I talk now

Then I can tell you now that

Yes actually I am telling with my own experience

That this subject has got a lot of importance

If I give it's real life example

Then when we do a startup

Or if we go in entrepreneurship

Then actually we come to know that

This theory is quite important

We actually complete phases one by one

And I will tell all these points with my own experience with real life example

So that you don't find it boring

You come to know that yes actually it is important

The theory that we study

That is actually important

So that I am telling you first of all we will talk about software development life cycle

Because I have already made a video on the basic

So the first important topic that comes is

Software development life cycle

In which we talk about there is a cycle

Cycle means we have different phases

We are developing a software through those phases

And to develop a software a cycle or a systematic way

Why is it necessary

Because customer is investing his time and his money

And the company which is providing him service

Somewhere it has to make its name

So that it can get multiple projects

So somewhere the requirement of customer

We have to satisfy it properly

We have to properly implement the requirement of customer

And my cost also should be genuine

I have to work within time frame

So when we have to do all these things actually in real life

When we need a systematic approach

That is actually a software development life cycle

Over here we have 2 entities

One is the customer

There are 2 people one is customer and another is the service provider

There can be one customer also and multiple customer also

And a service provider obviously there is a very big team

Small team can also be there

That depends but if we see a general aspect

Then there is a customer and a service provider

So over here as we are making our platform

So we are the customer and the company with which we have done the tie up is a service provider

So which is the first phase? Planning phase

Planning phase means it is initial time

When we have an idea in mind that we are doing this work

We have this unique idea

We implemented that idea in market

As we talk about youtube

Our channel is quite famous

Now we want that we can provide many good courses to students through this channel

And it is not that only one thing

Like if I talk about myself

Then only I cannot do all the things

Because we also have our quality constraint

That we have to give the best quality

So I cannot teach all the things alone

I also have to bring multiple instructors

Each and everything I have to do

So over there comes a planning phase

I want all those things in planning phase

I want this type of dashboard, students should be able to login like this

In that which type of content students should get

How will they get PDF

How will they get video lectures

How they can give quiz

How should be the landing page

This comes in our mind

This is my planning

Now along with that planning I also know that

How much cost I can give

How much time do I have

In that I have kept an idea in my mind

Now what will I do I will call

Obviously nowadays in social media and online also marketing is available

So over there I can put that

That this is my requirement

So tell me if anyone has such a company

Or if any person is working on this

Then tell me

Obviously multiple service provider will reach me

They will call me

So over there the first phase will be there of planning

And then what they will do

I will get quotations from them

Tell me how much cost will be incurred

I will tell all the things to them

So you can see over here our verbal communication will be there

Informal or formal kind of communication can be done

Defensive the project is very big then obviously formal will be more

If it is a limited or small project

Then informal kind of communication will also do

And after that when I have told all my things

So after that comes defining or analysis phase

Now a person has an idea in his mind

Service provider has got an idea in his mind

That this is customers requirement

Now we will share that requirement with his team

After sharing it with team

He will get an estimation that I can keep this much price

I will require this much staff

The estimation work COCOMO and line of code

Function point

All that funda comes on this point

What you will do all the analysis on the basis of which he will tell this will be my cost

I will take this much charges

I will take this much time

Then customer will tell about him

That I can pay only this much money

Or I want to get the work done within this much time

So somewhere they will do the negotiation

Now after doing the negotiation

Nawab after that a proper documentation comes that is called as SRS documentation

It comes over here in this phase

When they had communication with each other

Verbal communication is done

But in the end I want it in written

So in return we got a formal document from them

But these will be the modules and we have told them each and everything

But it does not mean that over here customers work is over

Now customer cannot do any changes

Customers can do his changes afterwards also

But what happens is customer might tell something earlier

And after that he keeps on making the changes again and again

So somewhere you will be stuck in this loop only

Over here only customer and service provider will be stuck

So you can tell that 70-60% idea is to be delivered

It is there in his mind

Now whatever changes you want to add on in this

That you will keep on doing it

According to the time

So this SRS document work is done

After that designing phase comes

What comes in designing phase

Now in this the customer does not have any major role

Service provider has a major role

Designing phase cohesion and coupling comes

Which functions are there

How are the modules

What will be the cohesion and coupling between them

Other than this if we talk DFD's and all

If you make any project in your university or college

You might have used DFD and UML in it

So that comes in designing phase

Now if I talk about real life example in designing phase

You will get a lot in theory

If I talk about real life example

So it is possible that somewhere

Let you can tell design at your end

I want this designing

I want this type of front page I want this type of landing page

You told each and everything

May be you took example of 3 to 4 website and told them

That I want this type of work

You can bring more advancement in this

In the same way service provider also told you that

We will do designing in this way

These are the phases

Each and everything came over there in designing phase

Designing helps in coding and implementation part

It is not that the coding person will directly start coding the SRS document

Let us not like that

In designing phase a whole layout is prepared

Let I want to make things this way

And these are my platforms

They have made a layout and designing phase

Like we make a map before making the house

From an architect

Designing phase is similar

And if we talk about DBMS

Like ER modelling

That comes in designing phase

Now later on it will be added to the implementation phase

You will put it in coding phase which platform you are using

At backend which technology you are actually using

Which language you are using

All that things come over here

So somewhere service provider will use latest technique and technologies

He will do this coding and implementation part

Then testing

Very important phase because

Whatever project you have

It is not that the project is deployed

We have launched it in the market

That means it will be a hit

And all the things that we want will be working

No

When actually the product comes into the market

Then we actually come to know that it has some problem

When it will come in the hand of customer

And customer will give it to its users ahead

When users tell on daily basis

That actually these are the changes

These things are missing in it

So somewhere the testing phase

There are many type of testing

Unit testing is there integration testing is there

There are different levels

Other than that system testing alpha beta

If we talk about types of testing

White box testing is there black box testing is there

So they are the different types

But if you talk about deployment

Okay your product is delivered

Testing and all is done

You have deployed it

Properly

And along with that also maintenance comes

In maintenance generally Technical Support comes

If I talk in real life example

Then they give it to you like Technical Support

They give you time of 3 months

After delivering they will give you a complete demo

That it works in this way

You tell your users how to log in

Each and everything they will tell you

And they will also give you time of 3 to 4 months

That whatever changes you want to get done in 3 to 4 months

You get it done

And if you want to do anything after that

Then there are also some charges on that basis

Those charges can be on yearly basis

They can also be on monthly basis

That depends

Then the maintenance fund comes

After that the whole cycle

Is completed

Now over here if we talk and anywhere it is asked to you in college or university exam

Or in any interview

So I feel this from my experience

Yes in real life actually it is important

Because we think this as a theory part

Baby still you might feel it as a theory part

But later on when you will work in a software company

Or as a startup or when you will go as an entrepreneur

Then you will actually feel that this thing is very important

This tells you how you have to work in a systematic way

Or how you have to make your employees work

Or the company with which you have done the tie up

How you have to give them input

How you have to arrange meetings with them

How in a proper way

Your platform your website

Your app each and everything

You want to get it developed

So this whole concept

This is actually called the software development life cycle

And this if you talk from olden times till now

There are many different models

Like waterfall model

It is very important waterfall model

In which iterative waterfall is also there or if we talk about

Your traditional waterfall model is there

Then prototype is there

Spiral model is there

Then RAD is there

Other then that V-model is there

Agile is there, latest technology

So these are the different models in it

Again that is also a theoretical part

But I am actually telling you the scenario

That how do we implement it

What is its importance in real life

Thank you