What is code freeze?

In the software development life cycle, there comes a stage, usually at the end, where no more code is written and no further features are implemented in the code. This stage is known as code freeze.

Code freeze usually means that the software product is in its launch or delivery phase. Code freeze halts any further modification or changes to the code base.

Software deployment and maintenance comes after code freeze. Further changes to the code base are only authorized if a critical need arises or an issue arises that needs to be fixed.

Code freeze halts the software development at a stable point and prevents developers from making any changes to the final product. Code freeze allows developers to integrate modules without having to worry about unexpected changes or behavior. Code freeze complements the waterfall model very nicely and has been in use since the 1960s.

However, code freeze is not well suited for Agile development because it is seen as going against the Agile philosophy. Code freeze is considered irrelevant and leads to slower releases.

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