What Is The Program Development Cycle in The C Language?

We have to follow a series of steps to develop a program using any programming language. Phases in program development refer to these steps. There are several phases or steps of the program development of any programming language.

Stages involved in the development of a program

Understanding and arranging the development approach is part of the programming cycle. This can help to write code by using limited memory. Stages in the development cycle of a program are as follows:

Development phases of a program

The six phases of the program development life cycle are as follows: −

• Problem Definition.
• Problem Analysis.
• Algorithm Development.
• Coding & Documentation.
• Testing & Debugging.
• Maintenance.

1. Problem Definition:

• First and foremost, the process of developing a program begins with understanding and identifying the problem.
• Formally defining the problem is the next step.
• There are several factors to consider at this stage, including inputs and outputs, processing requirements, memory requirements, error handling, and interfacing with other programs.

2. Problem Analysis:

3. Algorithm Development:

4. Coding and Documentation:

A program or software document refers to a document that explains software or programs to the users. From programmers, analysts, and administrators to end-users, anyone can be a user. Documents may be created for multiple users at various stages of development. But Documentation is an essential part of the software development process.

Because different modules of the software are developed by different teams, documentation becomes even more critical. It will be easier to understand a module if anyone other than the development team has detailed documentation.

These are some guidelines for creating the documents −

• Documentation should be written from the reader’s perspective
• in a clear and concise manner
• without repetition
• It is recommended to use industry standards
• and to update documents regularly
• The phase-out of any outdated document should be recorded with due diligence

The advantages of documentation

*Providing program documentation has some advantages.

• Tracks all components of a program or software
• to make maintenance easier
• Other programmers can understand all aspects of the program or software
• leading to a better overall product
• Helps with user training
• Ensures knowledge decentralization, saving money and effort if someone leaves the system abruptly

5. Testing and Dubbing:

A test verifies that the behavior is correct. Tests can be run at every stage of module development: requirement analysis, interface design, algorithm design, implementation, integration, and implementation with other modules. I will discuss implementation testing in the following. Execution testing isn’t the only way to execute tests. As described below, an implementation can also be tested using correctness proofs, code tracing, and peer reviews.

Bugging is a cyclic process that involves execution testing and code correction. The testing that is done during debugging has a different objective than the testing of the final module. Tests during final module testing are primarily aimed at locating errors, whereas tests during debugging are meant to demonstrate correctness. Testing strategies are therefore impacted by this difference.

Effective debugging requires the following conditions

Programmers need to mentally prepare for the effort of debugging to avoid spending too much time on it. Prepare yourself for debugging by taking the following steps.

• Understand the design and algorithm –

 The debugging process would be difficult if you were unfamiliar with the design or algorithm of the module you were working on. Because you do not understand the design, you cannot test the module. It will be very difficult to locate errors from testing if you do not understand the algorithms. You may also need a strong understanding of algorithms to build good test cases. It is especially important with algorithms for complex data structures.

• Check correctness – 

Before execution, there are several methods for ensuring that the implementation is correct.

• Correctness proofs – 

The use of correctness proofs in code analysis can be useful for checking code. Taking into account preconditions, invariants, terminating conditions, and postconditions for a loop as an example, you can perform some easy checks. Is the invariant initially true, as a result of the precondition and the loop entry code? the invariant preserved by the loop body? Is loop termination progressed by the execution of the loop body? As well as the loop terminating condition and loop exit code, does the invariant imply the postcondition? Making these checks can often lead to a better understanding of the algorithm, even if not all errors are found.

• Code tracing –

Tracing errors can often be done by starting the module with several initial conditions and checking the calls to the module services. It tracing is most effective when you describe it to someone else for poorly understood psychological reasons. Tracing of a procedure or function should be performed assuming that calls to other procedures and functions will operate as intended, even if they are recursive. You will be dealing with too many levels of abstraction if you trace into a called procedure or function. There is often confusion as a result. Whenever there is any doubt about whether the called procedures or functions are performing according to specifications, they can be traced separately. While tracing may not catch every error, it can help you better understand algorithms.

• Peer reviews –

 Having a peer check your code for errors is referred to as a peer review. It is best if the peer is already familiar with the algorithm or if the algorithm and code are provided in advance. The code writer should explain to the reviewer how the code implements the algorithm when they meet with the reviewer. Reviewers discuss parts of the implementation that their reviewer doesn’t understand or disagrees with until they agree whether or not it is an error. Reviewers can only detect errors as an aid. Implementers are responsible for correcting them. The psychology of showing how something works plays a large part in the benefit of peer review.

It is often during peer review that the code writer discovers errors. To get a different perspective and to uncover blind spots in your work, it is useful to have another person review your work. Peer reviews, like code tracing, can take a lot of time. In the classroom, a peer review of an entire module is unlikely to pay for itself in terms of instructional value. Short sections of code should be reviewed rather than an entire module. The quality of the code is more important in commercial programming, however. A software quality assurance program is not complete without peer reviews.

• Anticipate errors – 

Since humans make errors when providing arguments, code tracing mistakes are not always visible to peers. Consequently, a programmer should expect some errors to remain in the code after following these steps. It is important, however, to limit the number of errors.

6. Maintenance:

Program maintenance involves modifying software or programs after delivery to accomplish any of the following goals: −

• Correct errors
• Improve performance
• Add functionalities
• Remove obsolete portions

In actuality, most maintenance involves adding minor or major capabilities to existing modules, rather than fixing errors that come up after the software is live. but it may be necessary to add new data to a report, to add a new field to entry forms, or to modify code to incorporate changes to government laws, etc.

Types of Maintenance

There are four categories of maintenance activities −

• Corrective maintenance − This is where errors are fixed that arise after on-site implementation. Users may point out errors themselves in some cases.
• Preventive maintenance − Modifications made to prevent errors from occurring in the future are known as preventive maintenance.
• Adaptive maintenance − New working conditions can sometimes require software modifications. Adaptive maintenance is its name. Changes in government education policies, for example, require adjustments to school management software’s student result processing module.
• Perfective maintenance − Perfective maintenance is done to incorporate new requirements from the client into the existing software. Keeping up-to-date with the latest technology is our goal here.