Software development is the process by which a company, team, or individual designs and implements an overall plan to create a new software program. This process can also be applied to an established program to create a new version of that software, although this is usually a shortened version of the process unless the new version is very different from the old one. Numerous steps are involved in this process, starting with understanding what is needed from the software, developing a plan to build it, writing the code, and testing the bug before release. Software development can be a process involving anything from a single programmer to tens or hundreds of people.
Writing code is just one step in the software development process.
The software development process usually starts with a general research or understanding of what kind of software is needed in the market. It could be an entirely new program that addresses an unmet need, or new software in an existing market. When development begins, this research establishes the purpose of the software being developed and the overall development goals.
Ongoing software development can continue after a program has been written, tested, and started.
Once those involved in software development have a goal for the program they are working on, they can begin to develop the plan to implement that software. A lot of work often goes into creating any real code, especially for aspects of a program like the user interface and basic architecture. Graphic designers, UI developers, programmers and producers in a large team can participate in this stage of development.
Software development, therefore, typically proceeds from these early brainstorming stages to creating the overall structure of the program and writing the code for the software. This implementation typically involves one or more computer programmers, and the source code is created in any number of different applications, programming languages, and other utilities. During and after the code has been created, a lot of testing is usually done to ensure that the program runs correctly and is as free of bugs, glitches, and errors as possible.
Ongoing software development can continue even after a program is written, tested, and released to the general public. This development can be used to correct bugs found after the release or introduce small improvements and some new features. User feedback can also be used to gather feedback on ways in which the program can be improved in a broader sense. This feedback can be used to restart software development on a new version of the program, which may offer features and utilities not found in the previous version.
Troubleshooting software is part of the development process.
