Software Development Process Models

Software metrics and models cannot be discussed in a vacuum ; they must be referenced to the software development process. In this chapter we summarize the major process models being used in the software development community. We start with the waterfall process life-cycle model and then cover the prototyping approach, the spiral model, the iterative development process, and several approaches to the object-oriented development process. Processes pertinent to the improvement of the development process, such as the Cleanroom methodology and the defect prevention process, are also described.

In the last part of the chapter we shift our discussion from specific development processes to the evaluation of development processes and quality management standards. Presented and discussed are the process maturity framework, including the Software Engineering Institute's (SEI) Capability Maturity Model (CMM) and the Software Productivity Research's (SPR) assessment approach, and two bodies of quality standards ”the Malcolm Baldrige assessment discipline and ISO 9000 ”as they relate to software process and quality.