Software Life Cycle

The software lifecycle, often referred to as the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), describes the phases or stages a software system goes through.

The software lifecycle, often referred to as the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), describes the phases or stages a software system goes through, from its initial conception to its eventual retirement or replacement. It's a framework that describes the processes used to conceive, create, test, deploy, and maintain a software system.

1. Requirement Analysis This is the foundation of the software lifecycle. In this phase, stakeholders' needs and constraints are gathered and analyzed to create a comprehensive list of system requirements.

2. Planning Here, the feasibility of the project is determined in terms of resources, timeline, and cost. Project managers, at this stage, outline the resources, budget, and schedule required to complete the project.

3. Implementation (or Coding) During this stage, the actual source code is written using a chosen programming language. This phase transforms design diagrams and documentation into actual functional software.

4. Testing Once the software is implemented, it is rigorously tested to ensure it meets the requirements and is free of defects. This can involve various types of testing such as unit testing, integration testing, system testing, and user acceptance testing.

5. Deployment After testing and quality assurance, the software is made available to users. This could be through direct installations on user devices, web deployments, app stores, or other distribution methods.

6. Maintenance and Support Post-deployment, the software might require periodic updates to fix bugs, improve performance, or adapt to new requirements. This phase involves ensuring that the system continues to meet user needs, and any identified issues are promptly addressed.