Software - English

Roles and Responsibilities in Software Development

In a typical software development team, each member has specific roles. The business analyst gathers requirements and defines what the customer or business needs. The developer or software engineer writes and maintains the code. An experienced engineer might have the additional responsibility of a software architect, who defines the structure and high-level design of the application. The project manager organizes the team’s work and manages schedules and deadlines. The team lead helps guide and support the development team during the project. For visual and interactive parts, the UI/UX designer is responsible for designing the user interface and improving the user experience.

Example:

• The project manager coordinates with the business analyst to ensure the project requirements are clear.
• The software architect creates a technical plan before the developers start coding.
• The UI/UX designer presents interface prototypes for feedback.

The Software Development Process

Modern teams often use agile methodologies, which break development into manageable parts. The software development life cycle (SDLC) includes phases such as designing, building, and testing. Teams may work in sprints or iterations, guided by either scrum or similar frameworks. In each iteration planning meeting, the team plans their next body of work. After several iterations, a release takes software live. DevOps practices help automate building and deploying software. Version control is used to manage changes to code and track different versions of the software.

Example:

• The team uses a two-week sprint for development.
• Version control ensures code can be rolled back in case of an error.
• Each release may introduce new features or bug fixes.

Types of Software Projects

Projects can have various focuses:

• Cloud application: Applications that run on remote servers rather than local machines.
• Mobile application: Software built for mobile devices.
• Web application: Applications accessed through a browser.
• Database: Projects focused on organizing, storing, and retrieving data.

Example:

• The company developed a mobile application for customers.
• The team deployed a cloud application to support global users.
• They designed a new database to handle large sets of user data.

Software Features and Functionalities

Key components of software include authentication (verifying user identity) and authorization (granting user permissions). Users typically login and logout to access or leave their accounts; a registration process allows new users to sign up. A well-designed interface with responsive design enhances usability across devices. Scalability, security, session handling, and improved user experience and user interface are priority functionalities. New requirements are often described as a user story. Debugging helps resolve software bugs.

Example:

• The registration page supports both email and social sign-up.
• Authentication restricts access to sensitive features.
• The team improved scalability for better performance during high traffic.

Software Testing and Quality Assurance

Testing ensures software works as expected. Quality assurance (QA) defines standards and processes. Tests include unit test (individual components), regression testing (checking old functionalities after changes), performance testing and load testing (handling many users), and user acceptance testing (final checks by end users). Teams must also define test strategy and spend time debugging and fixing bugs.

Example:

• QA created a test strategy for a new release.
• User acceptance testing was done before deployment.
• The team fixed a critical bug reported during testing.

Software Maintenance and Updates

After release, software requires ongoing support. Teams provide bug fixes, respond to errors, and ensure backward compatibility so updates don't break older functions. Improvements and new features are released regularly. Sometimes, removing feature is necessary to simplify or improve the system. Regular updates keep software secure and efficient, with tasks like insert update for databases.

Example:

• An update included several bug fixes and a new feature.
• The app maintained backward compatibility to support older data.
• The developers worked on improvements based on user feedback.