Have you wondered why some startups fail while others enjoy 2X, 3X, or even 10X growth?
Well, the answer to the question lies in “Quality Software Development”!
But here’s the catch!
Building and designing a software product requires development standards and best practices.
Remember that following the best software development practices may improve the productivity of an organization.
But there’s no one-size-fits-all approach beneficial for software development. Each company has its audience, objectives, and growth prospects. Still, these practices are based on a common organization’s objectives that you may consider.
Before heading into the essential practices, let’s understand what software development exactly means!
What is Software Development?
In layman’s language, “Software Development” refers to building, designing, deploying, and testing a software product to make it perform well. These steps must be followed and implemented properly to render bug-free, high-quality, feature-rich, and revolutionary software product that fosters nothing but “Growth”. These sequences of steps involved are known as the software development lifecycle. Furthermore, not only do these steps help facilitate efficient project completion but also help get the job done on time and within budget. Let’s take a quick look at some of the popular software development methodologies;
- Agile Methodology
- Rapid Application Development (RAD)
- Scrum Framework
- DevOps
- Waterfall Model
- Lean Development
- Prototype Model
- Spiral Model
Important Facts & Statistics Related to Software Development
Here is a list of the important facts and statistics related to software development. Let’s discuss them in detail!
- The market cap for software development is expected to reach $1.03 trillion by the next 3-4 years. The numbers might go beyond the expected.
- There will likely be a 22% increase in the employment rate of IT developers in the US by the next five years.
- Software marketing is predicted to receive 28% of investment attention in 2024.
Top Software Development Best Practices to Follow
Let’s take a look at the software development best practices every programmer should know;
#1. Define Requirements Clearly
One of the major software development practices is that you should clear your requirements before you run into software development. When you have a fair idea of what the software should do, how it should work, and how it may benefit customers, you can ensure a successful software product.
If you want to define your needs, all you need to do is simply collect input from stakeholders, including your existing customers (if any), app developers, business analysts, and target audience. All you need to do is to create a Software Requirements Specification (SRS) document. It includes the following features:
- Transferring Money Between Accounts
- Depositing Checks
- Checking Account Balances
- Paying Bills
- Securely Storing Customer Data
The document should include security and document management.
#2. Proper Development Process
No matter what kind of software product you want to develop, a systematic approach is incredibly important to software development. The Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) includes a comprehensive flowchart with specific objectives of the organization. Irrespective of the complexity of the software product, you should implement methodologies that cater to your company’s objectives and customers’ expectations.
Remember that agile development is ideal for fast-paced environments with a multitude of teams working to identify problems and streamline processes. This kind of development is being used by corporate giants, including Apple, Microsoft, and IBM.
#3. Use an Application Framework
Another major practice to consider in software development is that you should use popular application frameworks. One of the major highlights of the frameworks is that they provide reusable software components and tools to ease the process of software development process. Furthermore, when you hire a team of dedicated developers, they can leverage these frameworks to write codes without investing their time in file format conversions and database management.
Remember that developers must select the ideal framework, language, and platform to ensure a smooth, convenient, and seamless project development experience.
#4. Define coding standards
Another major yet best practice involved in software development is that you should follow pre-defined coding standards to make your product stand out. If you don’t have enough time, it’s wise to hire dedicated developers that ensures uniformity in code. Furthermore, it also enhances readability to reduce the complexity of the entire process. Remember that when a multitude of developers are working on a single project and one of them is unable to continue due to a medical emergency then other developers should continue without any hassle.
Ask your developer to follow common industry-led coding standards, which include;
- Creating standard headers for various modules
- Naming conventions for functions
- Constants
- Local and global variables, etc.
#5. Take Advantage of the Issue Tracker
Last but not least, don’t forget to take advantage of the issue tracker that can easily record and handle all kinds of issues that your software faces! Since it is easy to use, these trackers support managers, agents, and engineers to monitor these issues until they are resolved.
Not only does it help resolve issues but also helps developers to prevent small problems from becoming big. Furthermore, it also provides transparency to your developers to allow them to see what is working and what is not working. Thus, they can then ensure the smooth functioning of the project. Some of the popular issue tracker tools include ClickUp, Zendesk, and GitLab.
Conclusion
So, there you have it! That’s a wrap to the top software development practices that every developer must follow. When you follow these practices, developers can easily avoid mistakes and deliver efficient, reliable, and user-friendly software products.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of the frequently asked questions related to essential software development practices.
- What are the 5 software development phases?
Regarding software development, there are 5 phases involved: planning, design, development, testing, deployment, and maintenance.
- Which SDLC model is best?
There’s no single “best” SDLC model. Each one has its pros and cons. It depends on your project’s needs. Common models include Waterfall, Agile, Spiral, and V-Model.
- What are the levels of a software developer?
Developer levels vary by company but usually include Junior Developer, Intermediate Developer, Senior Developer, Lead Developer, and Architect. Some companies also have roles like Principal Developer or Technical Fellow.
- Which field is best for software developers?
The best field depends on your interests and skills. Software developers are needed in many areas like finance, healthcare, e-commerce, and entertainment. Research different industries to find what suits you best.
- Which software skill is most in demand?
High-demand skills include cloud computing, AI and machine learning, cybersecurity, mobile development, and full-stack development.