Four common patterns of software development

In the field of software development, different teams choose different models to develop software. Here are four major models of software development, each with its own unique advantages and challenges.

Waterfall model: This is a traditional linear development process with a clear sequence for each stage, from requirements analysis to design, development, testing, and maintenance. Its advantage is that the process is clear and easy to manage, but the disadvantage is that it is difficult to adapt to changes in requirements.

Agile Development: Agile development emphasizes iteration and rapid response to customer needs. The team builds the software gradually through short cycles of iteration, focusing on user feedback and collaboration. While some software quality and maintainability may be sacrificed, it is ideal for projects where requirements change frequently.

Rapid prototyping: This pattern is suitable for projects where requirements are unclear or change frequently. The development team quickly builds a prototype that is used to validate and test the functionality and performance of the software. This model can quickly respond to market changes.

Incremental development: Incremental development builds software step by step in a modular way. Each stage produces a usable version of the software, which helps to improve the reliability and stability of the software. It is especially suitable for the development of large software systems.

The choice of development model depends on the specific needs of the project and the characteristics of the team. For testers, different development models also mean that the focus and strategy of testing will be different.