In the early’s 60, there were no Software Engineering Processes and Guidelines such as SDLC. They were following the Exploratory Software Development Process, also called build and fix style. It only focuses on detecting errors at the testing phase and quickly fixes them, and does the same repeatedly until the time all the errors are being fixed for that release.
Steps for Exploratory Style of Software Development
- A dirty program is quickly developed.
- The bugs are fixed as and when they are noticed.
However, this approach can be followed when a single developer handles a project or assignment. The code sizes are manageable and within the grasp of an individual. The major advantage of following this style is that no need to document everything. It depends on the individual to decide which part needs to be documented and how to proceed. An individual may follow any of the following sequences:
- Code -> Test -> Design
- Code -> Design -> Test -> Change code
- Specify -> Code -> Design -> Test
Why does this type of style not work or scale well with a bigger size of projects?
A small program has just a few variables or few logic components, and in this case, it is easy to grasp individual modules or logic components. But, as the number of independent logic components increases. It quickly exceeds the grasping power of an individual and requires an unduly large effort to master the problem. (This is because of human cognitive limitations). This may lead to Software Crisis.
References
- Fundamentals of Software Engineering Book by Rajib Mall and NPTEL video series.
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