What is the Iterative model in software engineering?
Several software development models in software engineering include the Waterfall, Agile, and Iterative models. The Iterative model is a software development approach that emphasizes an iterative and incremental approach to software development.
The Iterative model divides software development into smaller iterations or stages, and each step involves planning, designing, coding, testing, and deployment. The team typically completes each iteration quickly; after completion, they review and evaluate the software. They use the feedback to refine and improve the software for the next iteration.
Software developers often use the Iterative model in software development projects where requirements need to be more well-defined or are likely to change during development. Using an Iterative approach, they can develop the software in more manageable stages and easily incorporate changes into the development process.
Let's take a closer look at the Iterative model in software engineering.
Phases of the Iterative model
Requirements gathering: In this phase, the software development team obtains the requirements from the stakeholders or end users of the software.
Design: In this phase, the team creates the software design based on the requirements. The design includes the overall structure of the software, the modules, and the user interface.
Implementation: The software is developed based on the design in this phase. The implementation involves coding, testing, and debugging.
Testing: The software is tested in this phase to ensure it meets the requirements and works as expected. Testing includes functional, unit, integration, and system testing.
Evaluation: In this phase, the software is evaluated based on the feedback obtained during the testing phase. The evaluation includes identifying improvement areas and making software changes based on the feedback.
Deployment: The software is deployed to the end users in this phase. The deployment includes installation, configuration, and training.
Iterative model example in Java
Let's consider an example of the Iterative model in Java. Suppose we want to develop a simple calculator application using the Iterative model.
In the first iteration, we can gather the requirements and design the user interface of the calculator application.
In the second iteration, we can implement the basic functionality of the calculator, such as addition and subtraction.
We can implement more advanced features in the third iteration, such as multiplication and division.
In the fourth iteration, we can test to ensure the calculator works as expected.
In the fifth iteration, we can evaluate the feedback obtained during testing and change the calculator.
Finally, we can deploy the calculator to the end users in the sixth iteration.
Here's an example Java code for a simple calculator application:
public class Calculator {public static void main(String[] args) {int num1 = 10;int num2 = 5;String op = "+";int result = calculate(num1, num2, op);System.out.println(num1 + " " + op + " " + num2 + " = " + result);num1 = 10;num2 = 5;op = "-";result = calculate(num1, num2, op);System.out.println(num1 + " " + op + " " + num2 + " = " + result);num1 = 10;num2 = 5;op = "*";result = calculate(num1, num2, op);System.out.println(num1 + " " + op + " " + num2 + " = " + result);num1 = 10;num2 = 0;op = "/";result = calculate(num1, num2, op);if (result == Integer.MIN_VALUE) {System.out.println("Cannot divide by zero!");} else {System.out.println(num1 + " " + op + " " + num2 + " = " + result);}}public static int calculate(int num1, int num2, String op) {int result = 0;switch (op) {case "+":result = num1 + num2;break;case "-":result = num1 - num2;break;case "*":result = num1 * num2;break;case "/":if (num2 != 0) {result = num1 / num2;} else {result = Integer.MIN_VALUE;}break;default:result = Integer.MIN_VALUE;}return result;}}
In this example, we can start with a basic calculator version that can perform addition and subtraction operations. In the next iteration, we can add the multiplication and division operations to the calculator. We can continue to iterate and improve the calculator until it meets all the requirements and is ready for deployment.
Conclusion
In this Answer, we have discussed the phases of the Iterative model and provided an example in Java. Iterative model is a software development approach used to develop software in smaller, more manageable stages. Each iteration involves planning, designing, coding, testing, and deployment to ensure that the software meets the requirements and is of high quality.