Waterfall Model - Design

Waterfall approach was first SDLC Model to be used widely in Software

Engineering to ensure success of the project. In "The Waterfall" approach,
the whole process of software development is divided into separate
phases. In this Waterfall model, typically, the outcome of one phase acts
as the input for the next phase sequentially.

The following illustration is a representation of the different phases of the

Waterfall Model.

The sequential phases in Waterfall model are −

• Requirement Gathering and analysis − All possible requirements of the

system to be developed are captured in this phase and documented in
a requirement specification document.
• System Design − The requirement specifications from first phase are
studied in this phase and the system design is prepared. This system
design helps in specifying hardware and system requirements and helps
in defining the overall system architecture.
• Implementation − With inputs from the system design, the system is first
developed in small programs called units, which are integrated in the
next phase. Each unit is developed and tested for its functionality, which
is referred to as Unit Testing.
 • Integration and Testing − All the units developed in the implementation
phase are integrated into a system after testing of each unit. Post
integration the entire system is tested for any faults and failures.
• Deployment of system − Once the functional and non-functional testing is
done; the product is deployed in the customer environment or released
into the market.
• Maintenance − There are some issues which come up in the client
environment. To fix those issues, patches are released. Also to enhance
the product some better versions are released. Maintenance is done to
deliver these changes in the customer environment.

Waterfall Model – Advantages

The advantages of waterfall development are that it allows for departmentalization and
control. A schedule can be set with deadlines for each stage of development and a
product can proceed through the development process model phases one by one.

Development moves from concept, through design, implementation, testing,

installation, troubleshooting, and ends up at operation and maintenance. Each phase of
development proceeds in strict order.

1.Some of the major advantages of the Waterfall Model are as follows –

2.Simple and easy to understand and use

3.Easy to manage due to the rigidity of the model. Each phase has specific deliverables
and a review process.

4.Phases are processed and completed one at a time.

5.Works well for smaller projects where requirements are very well understood.

6.Clearly defined stages.

7.Well understood milestones.

8.Easy to arrange tasks.

9.Process and results are well documented.

Waterfall Model – Disadvantages

The disadvantage of waterfall development is that it does not allow much reflection or
revision. Once an application is in the testing stage, it is very difficult to go back and
change something that was not well-documented or thought upon in the concept stage.

The major disadvantages of the Waterfall Model are as follows –

1.No working software is produced until late during the life cycle.

2.High amounts of risk and uncertainty.

3.Not a good model for complex and object-oriented projects.

4.Poor model for long and ongoing projects.

5.Not suitable for the projects where requirements are at a moderate to high risk of
changing. So, risk and uncertainty is high with this process model.

6.It is difficult to measure progress within stages.

7.Cannot accommodate changing requirements.

8.Adjusting scope during the life cycle can end a project.

9.Integration is done as a “big-bang. At the very end, which doesn’t allow identifying any
technological or business bottleneck or challenges early.

PROTOTYPING

The Prototyping Model is one of the most popularly used Software Development Life
Cycle Models (SDLC models). This model is used when the customers do not know the
exact project requirements beforehand. In this model, a prototype of the end product is
first developed, tested, and refined as per customer feedback repeatedly till a final
acceptable prototype is achieved which forms the basis for developing the final
product.

Prototyping Model-Concept

In this process model, the system is partially implemented before or during the analysis
phase thereby allowing the customers to see the product early in the life cycle. The
process starts by interviewing the customers and developing the incomplete high-level
paper model. This document is used to build the initial prototype supporting only the
basic functionality as desired by the customer. Once the customer figures out the
problems, the prototype is further refined to eliminate them. The process continues
until the user approves the prototype and finds the working model to be satisfactory.

Steps of Prototyping Model

Step 1: Requirement Gathering and Analysis: This is the initial step in designing a
prototype model. In this phase, users are asked about what they expect or what they
want from the system.

Step 2: Quick Design: This is the second step in the Prototyping Model. This model
covers the basic design of the requirement through which a quick overview can be
easily described.
Step 3: Build a Prototype: This step helps in building an actual prototype from the
knowledge gained from prototype design.

Step 4: Initial User Evaluation: This step describes the preliminary testing where the
investigation of the performance model occurs, as the customer will tell the strengths
and weaknesses of the design, which was sent to the developer.

Step 5: Refining Prototype: If any feedback is given by the user, then improving the
client’s response to feedback and suggestions, the final system is approved.

Step 6: Implement Product and Maintain: This is the final step in the phase of the
Prototyping Model where the final system is tested and distributed to production, here
the program is run regularly to prevent failures.

Prototyping Model

Types of Prototyping Models

There are four types of Prototyping Models, which are described below.

Rapid Throwaway Prototyping

Evolutionary Prototyping

Incremental Prototyping

Extreme Prototyping

1. Rapid Throwaway Prototyping

This technique offers a useful method of exploring ideas and getting customer feedback
for each of them.

In this method, a developed prototype need not necessarily be a part of the accepted
prototype.

Customer feedback helps prevent unnecessary design faults and hence, the final
prototype developed is of better quality.
 2. Evolutionary Prototyping

In this method, the prototype developed initially is incrementally refined based on

customer feedback till it finally gets accepted.

In comparison to Rapid Throwaway Prototyping, it offers a better approach that saves

time as well as effort.

This is because developing a prototype from scratch for every iteration of the process
can sometimes be very frustrating for the developers.

3. Incremental Prototyping

In this type of incremental prototyping, the final expected product is broken into
different small pieces of prototypes and developed individually.

In the end, when all individual pieces are properly developed, then the different
prototypes are collectively merged into a single final product in their predefined order.

It’s a very efficient approach that reduces the complexity of the development process,
where the goal is divided into sub-parts and each sub-part is developed individually.

The time interval between the project’s beginning and final delivery is substantially
reduced because all parts of the system are prototyped and tested simultaneously.

Of course, there might be the possibility that the pieces just do not fit together due to
some lack of ness in the development phase – this can only be fixed by careful and
complete plotting of the entire system before prototyping starts.

4. Extreme Prototyping

This method is mainly used for web development. It consists of three sequential
independent phases:

In this phase, a basic prototype with all the existing static pages is presented in HTML
format.

In the 2nd phase, Functional screens are made with a simulated data process using a
prototype services layer.

This is the final step where all the services are implemented and associated with the
final prototype.

This Extreme Prototyping method makes the project cycling and delivery robust and fast
and keeps the entire developer team focused and centralized on product deliveries
rather than discovering all possible needs and specifications and adding necessitated
features.
Advantages of Prototyping Model

The customers get to see the partial product early in the life cycle. This ensures a
greater level of customer satisfaction and comfort.

New requirements can be easily accommodated as there is scope for refinement.

Missing functionalities can be easily figured out.

Errors can be detected much earlier thereby saving a lot of effort and cost, besides
enhancing the quality of the software.

The developed prototype can be reused by the developer for more complicated projects
in the future.

Flexibility in design.

Early feedback from customers and stakeholders can help guide the development
process and ensure that the final product meets their needs and expectations.

Prototyping can be used to test and validate design decisions, allowing for adjustments
to be made before significant resources are invested in development.

Prototyping can help reduce the risk of project failure by identifying potential issues and
addressing them early in the process.

Prototyping can facilitate communication and collaboration among team members and
stakeholders, improving overall project efficiency and effectiveness.

Prototyping can help bridge the gap between technical and non-technical stakeholders
by providing a tangible representation of the product.

Disadvantages of the Prototyping Model

Costly concerning time as well as money.

There may be too much variation in requirements each time the prototype is evaluated
by the customer.

Poor Documentation due to continuously changing customer requirements.

It is very difficult for developers to accommodate all the changes demanded by the
customer.

There is uncertainty in determining the number of iterations that would be required

before the prototype is finally accepted by the customer.

After seeing an early prototype, the customers sometimes demand the actual product
to be delivered soon.
Developers in a hurry to build prototypes may end up with sub-optimal solutions.

The customer might lose interest in the product if he/she is not satisfied with the initial
prototype.

The prototype may not be scalable to meet the future needs of the customer.

The prototype may not accurately represent the final product due to limited
functionality or incomplete features.

The focus on prototype development may shift away from the final product, leading to
delays in the development process.

The prototype may give a false sense of completion, leading to the premature release of
the product.

The prototype may not consider technical feasibility and scalability issues that can arise
during the final product development.

The prototype may be developed using different tools and technologies, leading to
additional training and maintenance costs.

The prototype may not reflect the actual business requirements of the customer,
leading to dissatisfaction with the final product.

Applications of Prototyping Model

The Prototyping Model should be used when the requirements of the product are not
clearly understood or are unstable.

The prototyping model can also be used if requirements are changing quickly.

This model can be successfully used for developing user interfaces, high-technology
software-intensive systems, and systems with complex algorithms and interfaces.

The prototyping Model is also a very good choice to demonstrate the technical
feasibility of the product.