What is software development?

• Art of making good maintainable software

• Be ready for change!

Good Developer

• Specialist in one area.

• Lacks ability to change quickly according to present trends.

Excellent Developer

• 'Jack of all trades, master of none'

• Moves from one framework to another with minimal fuss.

Scenarios

• Languages like BASIC, COBOL now defunct
• So do the developers just go out of business or go back to school?

Breadth First Learning

"When I need to know more about something, then I dig into it and learn what I need to know. Breadth first, depth as needed." 

- Just a Programmer

Qualities of a good Software?

Some expected answers

• Correctness (Do what it's supposed to do)
• Available (Not in development phase, in the market)
• Efficiency (Complete tasks efficiently
• Ease of Use (Not hard to learn)
• Maintainability (Easy to fix errors)

How to develop good software?

Ans: Have a plan

The plan followed is called software development practice

Popular Software Development Practices

• Waterfall Model (Oldest) 
  
• Prototyping Model
• Evolutionary Model
• Spiral Model
• Agile (Most recent and gaining popularity)

Common stages in all practices

• Feasibility Study
• Requirements & Analysis
• Design
• Coding
• Testing
• Maintenance (Most arduous, surprising uh!!)

Let's take an example to move ahead!