The Five Processes

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Database application development can be broken into five steps or general processes. These processes outline the normal procedure one follows when building database applications. Think of them as the tenets of database programming. You'll likely follow them in every database application you build.

The five general processes for building database applications are as follows:

1. Define the purpose and functions of the application.

2. Design the database foundation and application processes needed to implement those functions.

3. Transform the design into an application by creating the requisite database and program objects.

4. Test the application for compliance with the predefined purpose and functions.

5. Install the application for production use.

To put things a little more succinctly, these five processes can be reduced to the following five phases:

1. Analysis

2. Design

3. Construction

4. Testing

5. Deployment

NOTE

Historically, the construction phase has been referred to as the coding phase. However, in this age of visual development, coding doesn't seem to be as applicable as it once was, so I've changed it to construction. This term works regardless of whether coding, visual development, or application generation is involved in constructing the project.

I'll make a habit in this chapter of referring to the five processes using these easier-to-digest terms. They are not only more concise than the formal definitions of the five processes, they're also terms with which most software developers are already familiar. They make obvious the point that developing database software is just like developing any other kind of software: There is a methodical approach you usually take to produce desirable results.

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