It’s the process of building software, starting from the idea all the way to maintenance. It’s how you can navigate your idea to become a reality and to keep it working.
Let’s start with the idea that you want to build the coolest tree house ever. But you can’t just start hammering wood randomly—you need a plan! Building a tree house is just like making a new app or website. There’s a step-by-step process to follow, and that’s called the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC).
Let’s go through each step using our tree house example! 🌳🏠
🧠 1. Planning – The Big Idea
Before you start building, you need to think about what kind of tree house you want. How big should it be? Will it have a slide? A secret door? Are girls allowed?
🔹 In software: Developers decide what they are making, who will use it, and what features it needs.
📜 2. Requirements – Writing a Wish List
Now that you have a tree house idea, you need a list of everything you’ll need—wood, nails, a ladder, a roof, maybe even a snack drawer! Don’t forget a red market and a white sign to write “No girls allowed”, we have decided to not allow girls unless mom tells us otherwise.
🔹 In software: Developers write down all the details about what the app or website should do, like “Users should be able to log in” or “The game should have three levels.”
🎨 3. Design – Drawing the Blueprints
Before building, you make a drawing of the tree house so you know exactly where everything goes. You plan where the door, windows, and stairs will be.
🔹 In software: Developers design how the app or website will look and work, making diagrams and wire frames to plan everything out.
🔨 4. Development – Building Time!
Now it’s time to grab your tools and start building! You follow your blueprint, hammer the nails, and put everything together piece by piece.
🔹 In software: Programmers write code to bring the app to life, just like building the treehouse step by step.
🕵️ 5. Testing – Checking for Wobbly Parts
Before you invite friends over, you test your tree house. Does the ladder hold? Does the roof leak? If anything is broken, you fix it!
🔹 In software: Testers look for bugs and make sure everything works properly before people use the app.
🚀 6. Deployment – Time to Play!
Your tree house is finally ready! You invite your friends over, and they start playing inside. 🎉
🔹 In software: The app or website is released so everyone can use it!
🔧 7. Maintenance – Fixing and Improving
Oops! After a few weeks, you notice a broken step or decide to add a cool new swing. You fix problems and make improvements over time.
🔹 In software: Developers update the app, fix bugs, and add new features to keep everything running smoothly.
🎯 Why is SDLC Important?
Just like building a tree house, making software without a plan would be a mess! The SDLC helps teams:
✅ Stay organized
✅ Build better apps
✅ Find and fix problems early
✅ Keep users happy
And that’s how software is made—one step at a time, just like the best tree house ever! 🌳🚀
Next we will go over the different types of software development lifecycle…
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