Waterfall is a software development methodology that has been around for decades. It is a linear, sequential approach to software development, where each phase must be completed before the next one can begin.

In this ultimate guide, we will delve into everything you need to know about waterfall, including its history, the pros and cons, and how it compares to other software development methodologies.

What is Waterfall?

The waterfall methodology was first introduced in 1970 by Dr.

Winston Royce in his paper, “Managing the Development of Large Software Systems.” It is a linear, sequential approach to software development, where each phase must be completed before the next one can begin. The phases of the waterfall methodology are:.

Requirements gathering and analysis
Design
Implementation
Testing
Maintenance

Once a phase is complete, the development team moves on to the next phase. There is no going back to a previous phase once it has been completed. This means that each phase must be completed perfectly before moving on to the next one.

The Pros and Cons of Waterfall

The Pros:

Predictable: Waterfall is a predictable methodology. Each phase must be completed before moving on to the next one, so there is no ambiguity about the timeline or the final outcome.

Documents: Waterfall produces a lot of documentation. These documents serve as a record of what was done and why it was done. This can be essential for future developers who need to work with the code.

Clear milestones: With Waterfall, there are clear milestones for each phase. This means that it is easy to track progress and know when each phase will be completed.

The Cons:

No flexibility: Waterfall is a rigid methodology. Once a phase is complete, there is no going back. This means that if a problem is found later in the process, it can be difficult to fix.

Detailed planning: Because each phase is completed before moving on to the next one, the planning for each phase must be detailed and specific. This can be time-consuming and expensive.

No testing until end: In the Waterfall methodology, testing is done at the end of the development process. This means that if there are any bugs or issues, they will not be discovered until it is too late.

How Waterfall Compares to Other Development Methodologies

Agile:

Agile is a methodology that is focused on flexibility and collaboration. In Agile, development teams work in short sprints, with each sprint producing a working piece of software.

This approach allows for flexibility and the ability to change course if needed. Waterfall, on the other hand, is a linear, sequential approach that is not flexible and does not allow for changes once a phase is completed.

Iterative:

The iterative methodology is similar to Agile in that it is focused on flexibility and the ability to change course.

However, in the iterative methodology, each iteration builds on the previous one, allowing for more detailed planning and testing than in Agile. Waterfall, again, is a rigid approach that does not allow for changes once a phase is completed.

DevOps:

DevOps is a methodology that focuses on collaboration between development and operations teams. It is a continuous approach to software development, with each phase building on the previous one.

This approach allows for greater collaboration and the ability to catch and fix issues early in the development process. Waterfall, once again, is a rigid approach that does not allow for collaboration or changes once a phase is completed.

Conclusion

Waterfall may be an older software development methodology, but it still has a place in certain types of projects. It is predictable, produces a lot of documentation, and has clear milestones for each phase.

However, it is not a flexible approach and does not allow for collaboration or changes once a phase is completed. When deciding which approach to use for your project, it is important to consider the pros and cons of each methodology and choose the one that best fits your specific needs.