The stages of the lifecycle
Analysis β design β develop & test β implement β evaluate.
The SDLC (System Development Lifecycle) is the structured sequence of stages a professional software project follows.
1. Analysis. The analyst studies the existing system (if any) and gathers requirements. Output: a clear specification of WHAT the new system must do. Methods: interviews, observation, questionnaires, document inspection.
2. Design. The designer plans HOW the system will work β data structures, file/database design, input forms, output reports, validation rules, algorithm flowcharts, screen layouts. Output: design documents and prototypes.
3. Development. The programmer writes the code following the design.
4. Testing. The system is tested with normal, abnormal, boundary and extreme data. Bugs are fixed; tests are repeated until the system passes.
5. Implementation. The system goes live. Includes user training, data migration and CHANGEOVER from the old system.
6. Documentation. Two flavours β USER documentation (how to operate the system) and TECHNICAL documentation (how the system is built, for maintainers and future developers).
7. Evaluation. The system is reviewed against the original requirements. Successes and shortcomings feed into the next iteration.
Cambridge tip. Mark schemes name analysis, design, testing, implementation and evaluation explicitly. Documentation is sometimes folded into implementation. Always include the EVALUATION step β students often forget it.
- Seven stages (some texts merge documentation and implementation).
- Analysis comes FIRST β gather requirements before designing.
- Evaluation comes LAST β feeds back into improvement.
See the full worked example for system development lifecycle β