Agile is the name given to the school of thought known as Agile Software Development. Agile software development is a blanket term used to describe a set of methods and practices which have been inspired by the values laid out in the Agile Manifesto.
Where Did Agile Come From?
The Agile Manifesto was first created in 2001 after the agile methodology had its start in the late 80s and early 90s. Agile was created when 17 software developers met in Utah to discuss software development methods. That is where they published the Manifesto for Agile development.
What is Agile manifesto?
The Manifesto for Agile Software Development was published by 17 software developers who met in Utah in 2001. The purpose of the manifesto, in their words, was: “uncovering better ways of developing software by doing it and helping others do it”. In their findings, they can to value Individuals and Interactions over Processes and Tools, Working software over comprehensive documentation, Customer collaboration over contract negotiation and respond to change over following a plan. You can find the original Agile Manifesto at: Agile Manifesto
What is Agile Development life cycle?
The Agile development life cycle, much like the Agile process in general, is very versatile and flexible in nature. When compared to lifecycles of more conventional methods like the waterfall (LINK), the Agile SDLC is much more dynamic. Different teams may make changes to the lifecycle based upon their personal preferences and experiences. Here is an example of a common Agile SDLC:
As you can see in the diagram, only the first two stages are static and need to be performed before the dynamic process can begin. These are the Planning and Analysis stages, to which time and effort need to be allotted before moving on to the next stages. This type of model allows a great deal of versatility in the product: Customer feedback can be used to continuously improve the product. Customers can actually see the changes they requested, as the software is released to the public in increments.
What are the other frameworks of agile?
Various frameworks exist for applying Agile in any organization. Some of the main frameworks of Agile are:
Scrum software development
Lean software development
Scaled Agile Framework (SaFE)
Large Scale Scrum (LeSS)
Disciplined Agile Delivery (DaD)
Adaptive software development (ASD)
Agile modeling
Agile Unified Process (AUP)
Dynamic systems development method (DSDM)
Extreme programming (XP)
Feature-driven development (FDD)
What are Agile Artifacts?
An Agile artifact is one of many kinds of by-products that are created during the agile process. Artefacts in software development help define the function, architecture, and design of software. Some examples of Artifacts in agile include: User Story, Product Backlog, Sprint Backlog, and Burndown chart.
What is done mean in agile?
Done is a simple list of activities (writing code, coding comments, unit testing, integration testing, release notes, design documents, etc.) that add verifiable/demonstrable value to the product. Focusing on value-added steps allows the team to focus on what must be completed in order to build software while eliminating wasteful activities that only complicate software development effort.
Diagram of Agile model:
Advantages of Agile model:
Customer satisfaction by rapid, continuous delivery of useful software.
People and interactions are emphasized rather than process and tools. Customers, developers and testers constantly interact with each other.
Working software is delivered frequently (weeks rather than months).
Face-to-face conversation is the best form of communication.
Close, daily cooperation between business people and developers.
Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design.
Regular adaptation to changing circumstances.
Even late changes in requirements are welcomed
Disadvantages of Agile model:
In case of some software deliverables, especially the large ones, it is difficult to assess the effort required at the beginning of the software development life cycle.
There is lack of emphasis on necessary designing and documentation.
The project can easily get taken off track if the customer representative is not clear what final outcome that they want.
Only senior programmers are capable of taking the kind of decisions required during the development process. Hence it has no place for newbie programmers, unless combined with experienced resources.
When to use Agile model:
When the client is not so clear on requirements
When the client expects quick releases
When the client doesn’t give all the requirements at a time
Difference between Agile and Scrum (Agile vs Scrum) Agile is an iterative approach of software development methodology using short iterations of 1 to 4 weeks. Due to the agile methodology, the development process is aligned to deliver the changing business requirement. Using Agile methodology, the software is distributed with fasterand fewer changes. Scrum is a framework of agile that helps agile teams to work together. Using it, the team members development, deliver and sustain the complex product. It encourages the team to learn through practice, self-organize while working on the problem. Scum is a work done through the framework and continuously shipping values to customers.
Agile
Agile is an iterative and incremental approach to software development methodology.
In this approach, the leadership plays an important role.
Agile software development is highly suitable for the medium or large project.
Flexibility is the most significant advantage of agile as it quickly reacts to changes.
Agile involves face-to-face communication and collaboration between the members of various cross-functional teams.
Agile development needs frequent delivery to the end user for their feedback.
In this development, each step like requirements, analysis, design, are continually monitored during the lifecycle.
The project leader takes cares of all the tasks in the agile method.
End-user may give their feedback during the development process. So, the end product will be more useful.
Delivery and update of the software are taking place regularly.
Design and execution should be kept simple.
The priority of agile development is always to satisfy the customer by providing continuous delivery of valuable software.
Working software is the most fundamental measure of progress.
It is best to have face-to-face communication to get as close to the project goal as possible.
Scrum
Scrum is a framework of agile methodology. In which incremental builds are delivered to end user in every two to three weeks.
Scrum's team is self-organized, cross-functional team.
Scrum is used in the project where the requirement rapidly changes. v
A compared to agile it is more rigid. So that there are no chances of frequent change.
In daily stand up meeting the teamwork is achieved with a fixed role assigned to team members, scrum master, and product owner.
No need to change many more while implementing scrum process.
In this process, a build is delivered after each sprint to the client for their feedback.
After every sprint a demonstration of functionality is provided. So that the regular feedback can be taken before next sprint.
There is no team leader, so the entire team handles the issues or problems.
When the team completes the current sprint activity, then the next sprint is planned.
Design and execution can be innovative and experimental.
The daily sprint meeting is organized to review the feedback to decide the future progress of the project.
Working software is not a fundamental measure.
The target of the Scrum team is to deliver maximum business value.