The life cycle

Systems Development Life Cycle A company will usually go back to the analysis after they evaluate the product for example: Windows 95 -> Windows 98 -> Windows ME -> Windows XP -> Windows Vista -> Windows 7 FIFA International Soccer -> FIFA Soccer 95 -> FIFA Soccer 96 -> FIFA 97 -> FIFA Road to the World Cup 98 -> FIFA 99 -> FIFA 2000 -> etc.

Analysis In an analysis you have to find the problem to solve: -A detailed look at current systems -Establish the objectives of the new system A business will gather information on: -How previous similar products have sold (market data) -What customers are interested in (questionnaires and interviews) -Whether it has any code that could be adapted or reused (internal data) -Feasibility of making any proposed game (is it possible within the time, technical, cost and personnel limits to make the game?) They create SMART targets which means specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time bound

Design This process lets you think about how you will make things to help avoid mistakes in the future The Process involved in the design of a product are looking at: -User interface -Processes -Data storage requirements

Implementation You have to implement the following: -Programming the software / creation of hardware -Installation of hardware and software -Preparation of data files -Training of users -Writing the system documentation

Testing After you have created the programme you have to test it to see if it is successful At an early stage in a project you should consider how the system will be tested to see if it works correctly. There are three main test methodologies that you need to be aware of, and able to choose between. Black box testing considers the box to contain the program source code, you don't have access to it and you don't have to be aware of how it works. All you do is input data and test to see if the output is as expected. The internal workings are unknown, they are in a black box. Examples of Black Box testing would be if you were working as a games tester for a new console game. You wouldn't have been involved in the design or coding of the system, and all you will be asked to do is to input commands to see if the desired results are output.

Testing White box testing, with white box testing you understand the coding structure that makes up the program. All the tests that you perform will exercise the different routes through the program, checking to see that the correct results are output. Dry run testing, A dry run is a mental run of a computer program, where the computer programmer examines the source code one step at a time and determines what it will do when run. In theoretical computer science, a dry run is a mental run of an algorithm, sometimes expressed in pseudocode, where the computer scientist examines the algorithm's procedures one step at a time. In both uses, the dry run is frequently assisted by a trace table.

Evaluation The final thing you should do is evaluate how it all went. Remember we are talking about a systems development life cycle here, so if you made any mistakes or things didn't go to plan it's best to make a note of them. Then next time round you won't make the same mistake. However, the main part of the evaluation is to reflect on how successful the operational system is: -Review to confirm the new system meets the original objectives -Identify any necessary modifications