Agile Software Development

Introduction

• The Agile methodology was born in response to the need for software development processes that were more flexible and adaptive to changes in requirements, market conditions, and customer needs.

Definition:

• Agile software development is a software development methodology that emphasizes flexibility, collaboration, and customer satisfaction.

Characteristics

• It involves iterative and incremental development, where software is developed in small, incremental steps, each delivering a working piece of software that can be tested and evaluated by the customer.
• Agile also emphasizes the importance of communication and collaboration among team members and with customers, in contrast to a more hierarchical and compartmentalized approach.
• The Agile approach focuses on delivering value to the customer through continuous feedback and adaptation. This is achieved through close collaboration between the development team and the customer and within the development team itself. Communication is emphasized, with daily stand-up meetings and frequent reviews to ensure everyone is on the same page.
• Agile development methodologies are known for their flexibility and adaptability.
• They are designed to accommodate changes in requirements and priorities, which are common in software development projects.
• This is in contrast to traditional waterfall development, which is a sequential approach that requires all requirements to be defined upfront before any development work begins. In other words, Agile development is often contrasted with traditional software development methodologies, such as the Waterfall model, which emphasizes extensive planning and documentation and sequential phases of development. Agile development approaches, on the other hand, are often iterative and involve frequent releases of working software.
• Some popular Agile methodologies include Scrum, Kanban, and Extreme Programming (XP). Each methodology has its own set of practices and guidelines, but they all share a common goal of delivering value to the customer in an iterative and incremental manner.

Working Principle

• Its main principles include:
  • Customer satisfaction through early and continuous delivery of software.
  • Embracing changes in requirements even late in the development process.
  • Delivering working software frequently, with a preference for shorter timescales.
  • Collaborating closely with customers and stakeholders.
  • Empowering self-organizing teams of developers and business people.
  • Focusing on the individuals and interactions rather than the tools and processes.
  • Reflecting on and adapting the development process continuously.