I'd like to know the difference between Software Development Process and Software Development Methodology if there is any.
+3
A:
It's the same as the difference between process and methodology in any other discipline. I think of the processes as the implementation of the methodology.
Simon
2010-01-05 08:46:14
Oh! ok... So assuming Waterfal, Prototyping, SSADM, Spiral are the processes, thats if am correct. then what then could be the methodologies?
Selase
2010-01-05 09:03:44
SSADM is a methodology. Prototyping applies to several methodologies, including RAD and Agile (I'll get comments about that one). Benevolent Autocracy is the methodology for Waterfall. Spiral is not one I am familiar with but looks like a methodology rather than a process. You are concentrating on some fairly arbitrary semantics, are you having a problem with something?
Simon
2010-01-05 09:10:13
Am getting my self prepared for an exam due 13th January.However am trying to gather ideas from different sources to get me well prepared. Ive been reading a simple introduction from the wiki link below which stated some methodologies such as OOP,RAD,RUP,AUP etc. and some approaches which i believe are the processes such as Waterfall,Prototyping,Incremental,Spiral etc. However further down the wiki page its states other software development methodologies and includes RUP,AUP,OOD(Object Oriented Design) and OOAD(Object Oriented Analysis and Design) both of which i believe falls under OOP.
Selase
2010-01-05 22:36:03
Thats when i got confused and actually wanted to find out the differences between the Methodologies and the Processes(Approaches).Reading Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_development_methodology
Selase
2010-01-05 22:37:00
From further reading i was speculating there could probably be just two approaches to any kind of methodology namely the Waterfall and iterative but am not sure of my self. i reckon this is very confusing and can be misleading.
Selase
2010-01-05 23:50:47
A:
The methodology is more a general mindset which sets basic parameters. A process is a concrete manifestation within the given borders of the methodology. You can think of agile as methodology and Scrumm as concrete implementation.
Sometimes it's hard to distinguish between the two. As rule of thumb: If you can immediately start to work with it, it's probably a process. A methodology requires more adaptation .
Patrick Cornelissen
2010-01-05 08:51:29
A:
When an unemployed academic decides to found a new cult to pull in some money until he retires, he bangs his head against a wall for a while and what he sees between the stars is a new methodology.
The actual work to be done by the cult's followers, their daily rituals if you will, is the process.
A less cynical treatment of two major methodologies can be found here: http://www.ncycles.com/e_whi_Methodologies.htm
Carl Smotricz
2010-01-05 08:52:11
-1 I find your sweeping statements bold, unfair and misinformed. Case in point, two of the most popular "cults" today, RUP and agile, have their origin in the business and industry world rather than in academia.
CesarGon
2010-03-07 14:06:15
+1
A:
A process is only a component of a methodology. A methodology has:
- A process aspect: what tasks are to be carried out?
- A product aspect: what things are to be used and/or created?
- A people aspect: what people and teams are going to do all this?
- A time aspect: how does all this get organised in time?
- A modelling aspect: what modelling units (language) are used to capture all this?
This is a simplified interpretation of the more formal definitions that you can find in ISO/IEC 24744 Software Engineering - Metamodel for Development Methodologies.
Still, the terms "method", "methodology" and "process" are used by different people with different meanings. After 20 years working in this field, I think that trying to agree on a standard use is futile. :-)
CesarGon
2010-03-07 14:10:58