A development process can be ordered and intentional or exploratory in nature
Common phases when developing a program: investigating and reflecting, designing, prototyping, testing
Requires refinement and revision based on feedback, testing, and reflection: may require revisiting phases
Break the project into smaller pieces and make sure each piece works before adding it to the whole
Investigate to determine requirements, constraints, concerns and interests of customer
Investigate by: collecting data through surveys, user testing, interviews, direct observations
Requirements describe how a program functions and may include a description of user interactions that a program should provide
Design phase that outlines how to accomplish a program’s goal may include: brainstorming, planning/storyboarding, organizing the program into modules and functional components, creation of diagrams, develop testing strategy
Describe the purpose of a code segment or program by writing documentation
Program documentation: a written description of the function of a code segment, event, procedure, or program and how it was developed EX: comments (don’t effect how the program runs)
Should actively document throughout development to help development as well as maintaining correct programs
Program documentation created to: describe the program, list specifications, describe different parts of the program, list of contributors
Document process: beginning: list specifications, during: keep track of progress, after: explain overall process
Documentation improves: programming process efficiency, ability to test and refine program, responding to bugs