Unit 12 – Software Development

12.1 Program Development Life cycle
1 Show understanding of the purpose of a development life cycle

2 Show understanding of the need for different development life cycles depending on the program being developed

3 Describe the principles, benefits and drawbacks of each type of life cycle

4 Show understanding of the analysis, design, coding, testing and maintenance stages in the program development life cycle

12.2 Program Design
1 Use a structure chart to decompose a problem into sub-tasks and express the
parameters passed between the various modules / procedures / functions which are part of the algorithm design

2 Show understanding of the purpose of state-transition diagrams to document an algorithm

12.3 Program Testing and Maintenance
1 Show understanding of ways of exposing and avoiding faults in programs

2 Locate and identify the different types of errors

3 Correct identified errors

4 Show understanding of the methods of testing available and select appropriate data for a given method

5 Show understanding of the need for a test strategy and test plan and their likely contents

6 Choose appropriate test data for a test plan Show understanding of the need for continuing maintenance of a system and the differences between each type of maintenance

7 Analyse an existing program and make amendments to enhance functionality