Waterfall Software Development: Phases, History, and Trade-offs

All flashcards

What is the waterfall model?

A software development life cycle approach that organizes work into distinct phases, generally completed in sequence. The output of one phase guides the next.

What did Benington’s 1983 foreword clarify?

Benington explained that the phases in his earlier work reflected task specialization and that the process relied on a prototype; it was not actually a strict top-down sequence.

What was Royce’s key criticism of the unmodified waterfall approach?

Testing only at the end was risky and could invite failure. Royce discussed additional practices and feedback to reduce development risks.

What happens during systems analysis and requirements definition?

The team gathers and interprets user needs, studies existing systems, diagnoses problems, resolves inconsistencies, and specifies the proposed system’s required functions.

What is the difference between maintenance and disposal?

Maintenance keeps a deployed system effective through monitoring and modest fixes or changes. Disposal plans its retirement, transition to a replacement, and secure handling of related information and infrastructure.

Quiz questions

1. What is the defining progression of the traditional waterfall model?Answer: Work advances through distinct planned phases, with each phase generally finished before the next starts.
2. What did Benington explain about the phased process in his 1983 foreword?Answer: The phases reflected task specialization, and the process depended on a prototype rather than being strictly top-down.
3. A team is turning requirements into screen layouts, business rules, and process diagrams. Which phase is it performing?Answer: Systems design
4. A project team assembles modules in a test environment and checks whether they work together. Which phase best describes this work?Answer: Integration and testing
5. Why can documentation benefit a waterfall project?Answer: It preserves project knowledge and helps new team members understand the system and its design.