Iterative iPad Methodology
The iterative software development processes is disciplined and customer-driven.
The team begins with the requirements and use cases. It then develops a series of prototypes, scaled down versions that approximate the characteristics of the final product. Once the client accepts the prototype, the team constructs and tests the final system. RUP combines elements of the waterfall model and the prototyping model.
Which iterative development methods should you concentrate on for your iPad tablet development requirements? They must not just respond flexibly to changing requirements, they need to also provide a disciplined framework with predictable schedules.
RUP is best suited to large and well-planned iPad application development projects.
Like Waterfall, RUP has a series of phases and milestones that flow into each other. Phases include:
- Inception, where the project's scope, estimated costs, risks, business case, environment and architecture are identified.
- Elaboration, where requirements are specified in detail, architecture is validated, the project environment is further defined and the project team is configured.
- Construction, where the software is made and tested and supporting documentation is produced.
- Transition, where the software is system tested, user tested, reworked and deployed.
Iterative development breaks up the system functionality into different iterations. In every iteration, features are implemented using cross-discipline tasks.
Two methods which have proven to work when requirements are not well-understood are the Rational Unified Process and Agile Software Development.
RUP defines four phases for a development cycle. These include the following:
- Inception Phase: In the inception phase stage a project feasibility study is conducted. The business case and project plan are created.
- Elaboration Phase: The elaboration phase involves the designing of the system architecture. The development plan for the entire project is also drawn up in the elaboration phase.
- Construction Phase: The specific coding of the assorted modules of the application is done in the construction phase. At the end of the phase the product is ready for release.
- Transition Phase: During the transition phase, the software application is handed over to the end user for testing.
The development method you choose will depend largely on one key factor, the clarity of your requirements. Taking the time to consider this factor will save you a lot of time, money and trouble in the long run. Why is clarity of requirements so important when choosing a development method?
Developing commercial software applications isn't like software for satellites and aircraft carriers. For these projects, the functional requirements are locked down early in the process. Development teams can use a predictive method such as Waterfall model with its strict division of project stages. In contrast, customer requirements are typically not well understood at the beginning of commercial software projects. Here are some reasons why.
- It's a new product. Customers don't know what they need until they see an initial version.
- You can't get the information. It's difficult to collect accurate information from customers about what they want.
- Customers and end-users can't agree. They cannot reach consensus about which features are most important.
- Everything changes. Changing realities and evolving understanding lead customers to vary their mind about what is most important to them.
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