Rapid Application Development (RAD)

There are many ways to create fully working software. And a very popular method is called Rapid Application Development.

The way it works is that a rough prototype of the application is quicky developed using some advanced software tools. The user then tries it out to see what works and what needs to change. The developer then goes back and refines the code so it is a bit closer to what the user wants. Then the user tries it out again, a few more changes are made and so on, until the software works as required.

This is a form of 'iterative development', otherwise called the 'Agile Development' approach. The advantage is that it is quick and the user is involved right through the process. The disadvantage is that it can become awkward and cumbersome for very large or complicated software development where many users and large development teams are involved..

One of the advanced software tools mentioned above are software 'frameworks' such as 'Ruby On Rails' and 'Zend'. These save a lot of time by supplying ready-made modules for doing common tasks such as coding up an online guest book.

2016-12-02

2020-10