Are Iterative and incremental software development models the same premise, just known as two different things?
+1
A:
This probably depends on either your textbook's or professor's definition. Wikipedia treats Iterative and Incremental Development as a single topic.
Austin Salonen
2010-03-25 21:12:28
yeah i know that is what it's confusing. they both seem to be the same thing yet the textbook lists them as different models...
HollerTrain
2010-03-25 21:16:27
A:
K here is what a book says:
incremental is to build the software to finish, then add more layers to it each time in a cyclical manner.
iterative is similar, but rebuilding each time. Of course iterative's definition makes no sense...
HollerTrain
2010-03-25 21:12:57
A:
Iterative and Incremental project management are pretty much the same, if you look at the Wikipedia article, except that:
- increment is a more generic term representing a phase, that you find in the Waterfall model (which is definitely not iterative)
- iterative convey more the notion of cycle which see the different development phases repeat themselves until completion of the project.
VonC
2010-03-25 21:17:39
so is there only one phase with increment model? if there are more phases doing same process (requirements, design, implementation, release) then how is this not a cycle?
HollerTrain
2010-03-25 21:24:43
@HollerTrain: no, since there can be many increment (as in the Waterfall model). My point is: it is a more generic term that can represent either phases not made to be repeated as a cycle (Waterfall) , or phases that can be repeated in a cycle.
VonC
2010-03-25 21:38:45
i appreciate your help. ah, so incremental is a process which grows but does not repeat in a cyclical fashion; iterative is a process of incrementing towards deployment, but goes into a cycle for rebuilding...? lol am i getting close?
HollerTrain
2010-03-25 21:45:17
@HollerTrain: I think the two terms involves a cycle nowadays. I just wanted to point out that an incremental model did not *always* implied a cycle. Today, you can pretty much use one term or another, and it will include a cyclic process.
VonC
2010-03-25 22:04:05