The term 'SDLC' is commonly abbreviated in the area of development of IT industries. SDLC includes plans to design, develop, transform, and maintain any software product. Although 'SDLC' is a fairly popular term used by software industries, most people are not aware of the full form of SDLC.
In this article, we have explained the SDLC definition, SDLC full form, its phases, and methodologies.
Let’s discuss it:
What You Will Learn
What is the full form of SDLC?
SDLC stands for "Software Development Life Cycle". It describes the various steps used to develop software in a systematic way. The life cycle includes several methods for improving product quality and the overall development process.

The full form of SDLC can be segregated as below:
S | Software |
D | Development |
L | Life |
C | Cycle |
SDLC Definition
“SDLC is the process of systematic development of software by following every step of the development process.”
It provides a well-structured flow of steps that allows organizations to develop high-quality software at minimal cost and in the shortest possible time.
Here are some other things related to the software development life cycle:
• It is also known as the 'Software Development Process' and 'System Development Life Cycle'.
• It functions like a framework defining the tasks required to follow in the software development process.
• ISO / IEC 12207 is an international standard for software development life-cycle. This standard includes various tasks performed for the development and maintenance of software.
Also Read: SDLC Interview Questions
SDLC Phases
Each phase of the SDLC has several steps and deliverables that feed into the next phase of development.
The various phases of the software development life cycle process are as follows:
• Planning or Requirement Analysis
• System Designing
• Development
• Coding/Programming
• Testing
• Deployment and Maintenance
Before starting any product, a full feasibility study is done by the software analysts. This study allows them to assess how viable and profitable software development projects will be for any organization.
SDLC Models/Methodologies
Many SDLC methodologies are used to develop software and each has some strengths and weaknesses.
Some popular SDLC methodologies are as follows:
• Agile Model
• Waterfall Model
• Spiral Model
• Rapid Application Development (RAD) Model
• Iterative or Incremental Model
• Evolutionary Prototype Model
• Big-Bang Model
• V-Shaped Model
• Capability Maturity Model
• DevOps Model
These methodologies are adopted according to the requirements of the development project. Therefore, it actually varies software-to-software to decide which model will be best suitable. However, the Agile Model is currently the most popular and widely used by software firms.
Summary
Proper planning and execution are key components of a successful software development process. SDLC consists of fully structured processes performed by the software developer at various stages. This ensures that the product will meet customer requirements and fit the desired budget.
Therefore, it is necessary for the software engineer/developer to have prior knowledge of this software development process.
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