What are the 4 software engineering activities?

The 4 main software engineering activities represent the core processes involved in developing high-quality software. These activities are typically part of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) and ensure that the software meets user requirements, is reliable, and performs well.

1. Software Specification (Requirements Analysis)

• What It Involves: Defining what the software should do by collecting, analyzing, and documenting user and system requirements.
• Key Activities:
  • Gathering requirements through interviews, surveys, and brainstorming sessions.
  • Writing user stories, use cases, or functional specifications.
  • Validating requirements with stakeholders to ensure clarity and feasibility.
• Output: A clear Software Requirements Specification (SRS) document.
• Purpose: To ensure everyone understands what the software must achieve.

2. Software Development (Design and Implementation)

• What It Involves: Creating the architecture and writing the actual code for the software.
• Key Activities:
  • Design:
    • High-level design (system architecture, database schema).
    • Low-level design (detailed module and component design).
  • Implementation:
    • Writing code using appropriate programming languages.
    • Using version control systems like Git to manage code.
    • Writing unit tests to validate individual components.
• Output: A working software system or module.
• Purpose: To build the system as per the specified requirements.

3. Software Validation (Testing and Quality Assurance)

• What It Involves: Ensuring the software meets the specified requirements and works as intended.
• Key Activities:
  • Unit testing, integration testing, system testing, and acceptance testing.
  • Automated testing to streamline repetitive checks.
  • Debugging and fixing identified bugs or errors.
• Output: A bug-free, functional, and reliable software product.
• Purpose: To ensure the software is ready for deployment and meets quality standards.

4. Software Evolution (Maintenance)

• What It Involves: Updating and modifying the software after deployment to fix issues, improve functionality, or adapt to changing needs.
• Key Activities:
  • Corrective Maintenance: Fixing bugs discovered after release.
  • Adaptive Maintenance: Updating software to work with new technologies or environments.
  • Perfective Maintenance: Adding new features or improving performance.
  • Preventive Maintenance: Proactively addressing potential issues to enhance reliability.
• Output: An updated and continuously improving software system.
• Purpose: To keep the software relevant, functional, and efficient over time.

Summary

These 4 activities—specification, development, validation, and evolution—are interconnected and form the backbone of software engineering. They ensure the software is designed and developed systematically to meet user needs while remaining adaptable and high-quality throughout its lifecycle.