Program Development Cycle

1. Review the Specifications :

Some of the necessary information has been presented to initiate the computer program creation. The input and output specifications may vary define exactly what are required and what are to be produced.

2. Informal Design :

The informal design step lets us to make changes in our plan before investing too much time in one approach. There are two steps in the informal design that need to be completed frequently in a repeated cycle.

i. List the major tasks : The programmer must find out the major tasks that are necessary to perform the particular task.

ii. List the subtasks : After finding or listing the major tasks, then the programmer must find or list the subtasks for each major task. This advantages the approach, that the programmer can only need to concentrate on one major task at a time.

After completing the lists of major tasks and sub-tasks, the programmer should figuratively step back a bit, re-read the specifications and make sure that all the requirements in the specifications are met.

3. Formal Design :

This formal design takes lists from the informal design, and puts them into a recognised format that others could easily read and use. Before an architect does the formal plan, time is spent on sketches and rough ideas. The formal plan is otherwise called "Blueprints". After converting them into formal design the programmer or designer saves the time in putting the solution in a complete design that every one could easily follow.

4. Code and Compile the program :

After finishing up the good design process, translate each design statement into the proper syntax in the desired programming language which is called coding. Then they must be compiled or translated into machine language. Fortunately this translation process is done by a compiler. A compiler is a program which translate the coded program in high level language into the machine language, which is understandable by the computer.

5. Test and Debug the program :

Once the program is compiled, it can be executed on the computer. Before handed over to the customer, we need to execute it with some test data and make sure it works as intended. Other programmers who plan ahead frequently spend most of their program development time trying to get the "bugs" out of their program and with some test data to be sure it works as intended.

6. Use and Maintain the program :

After a program is certified error free and put into use, then it will still need to be maintained. That means new modifications have to be performed frequently. It simply means that changes are necessary because of the changes in the organization, the form of the input, the form of the desired output and so on, as and when required.