Chapter 2. The Software Development Process

IN THIS CHAPTER

• Product Components

• Software Project Staff

• Software Development Lifecycle Models

To be an effective software tester, it's important to have at least a high-level understanding of the overall process used to develop software. If you write small programs as a student or hobbyist, you'll find that the methods you use are much different from what big companies use to develop software. The creation of a new software product may involve dozens, hundreds, even thousands of team members all playing different roles and working together under tight schedules. The specifics of what these people do, how they interact, and how they make decisions are all part of the software development process.

The goal of this chapter isn't to teach you everything about the software development processthat would take an entire book! The goal is to give you an overview of the all the pieces that go into a software product and a look at a few of the common approaches in use today. With this knowledge you'll have a better understanding of how best to apply the software testing skills you learn in the later chapters of this book.

The highlights of this chapter include

• What major components go into a software product

• What different people and skills contribute to a software product

• How software progresses from an idea to a final product