Waterfall model
lastmod 2015-03-04created 2015-03-042 edits
The waterfall model is a sequential software development process (a process for building software), named because the flow of development appears to keep moving downward like a waterfall. The flow of the waterfall model starts at the software requirements analysis phase and passes through phases such as software design, software implementation, software testing, and software integration, reaching the software maintenance phase.
A 1970 paper by Winston W. Royce (1929–1995) is often cited as the first writing to use the "waterfall" concept, but Royce did not actually use the term "waterfall" in that paper. Ironically, Royce presented this model in that paper as a flawed, non-working example.
Model
The original waterfall model presented by Royce describes the following phases in sequence.
- Software requirements specification
- Software design
- Software implementation (or coding)
- Integration
- Testing and debugging
- Installation
- Software maintenance