The Most Common Types of Software Development Examined

Database Management

Database management is a huge part of maintaining and securing an information technology system. It involves setting up your database structure, designing tables, writing SQL queries and establishing security for users. Database management is a process that structures and organizes data with a database management system.

A database is a structured collection of data, organized around concepts relevant to the domain in which the database is used.

Database management involves defining such structures and organizing them as needed for positive interaction with various types of users, for example, providing them with secure and private access to the data they need.

Computing and Networking

Computing and Networking is the combination of hardware and software components of a computer system to provide useful applications. The terms are often used in contrast to each other. Computing is the task of processing information, while networking is the task of transmitting that information over a medium.

Information Technology

Information technology uses computers, smartphones and other devices to store, manage and communicate information. Information technology includes hardware, software and communication technologies.

Examples include desktop computers and servers, laptops, tablets, printers and scanners. Information technology also includes internet technologies such as the Web, wikis, blogs and most recently social media. The term can refer to any device that uses computer technology to process information.

Front-End Web Development

Front-end web development involves adding content and interactive features to a website, usually through HTML and CSS. Front-end development is a necessary component of creating a functional website.

The browser reads HTML code and turns it into the content on the screen. This content can be text, images, videos or other media. It can also be interactive, such as clicking a button that makes something happen on the page or changes its appearance (1).

“Front-end development is the part of software development that is most available to the user. That is, this type of software development is immediately visible to the users as it consists of the graphical elements of any system, application, or website.”

– Trio

Back-End Web Development

A back-end web developer is a programmer who creates and maintains the systems that allow people to access their information.

If a website has an online store, the back-end developer creates or maintains the databases that store the products, customers, pricing information, order history, etc.

The back-end developer might design and maintain membership systems, online newsletters and other resources for members if a website is for an organization. The back end of a website is not typically available to be seen by members of the public because it’s only intended for internal use.

Back-end developers have many tools at their disposal to create these applications — from web programming languages such as PHP or Java to database management systems such as MySQL or Oracle. Click here to learn more about the different types of programming languges.

Full-Stack Web Development

A full-stack developer is a person who can do anything on the web — not only the front end or the back end. This person understands HTML, CSS and JavaScript (the front end), including databases, servers and other technologies related to the back end. The full-stack developer writes code on both sides of an application.

Full-stack developers are like general contractors on a construction site — they can oversee a project from start to finish. Two main parts of web development include front-end development (the section users see) and back-end development (the databases and programming). The full-stack developer takes both into account when managing a project.

DevOps Engineer

A DevOps engineer is a person who automates deployment and tests code and infrastructure changes. The DevOps engineers work on developing new systems and tools and make sure the whole process is working smoothly and efficiently.

They are familiar with the entire software development lifecycle, including software design and coding. They also need to know about networking, databases and operating systems.

Data Science

Data science is a multidisciplinary field that incorporates tools, practices and theories drawn from diverse areas, including business, engineering, statistics and computer science.

It is the scientific process of extracting knowledge or insights from data in various forms and integrating those insights to reveal patterns and/or build predictive models. The goal of data science is to turn raw data into useful information that can solve real-world problems.

Game Development

Game development is a multi-faceted field that requires a variety of skills. Game designers and producers oversee the entire process, starting with the initial concept and ending with the final product.

Other game developers may be involved at various stages during the production process, such as programmers working on the underlying code or visual designers applying their craft to specific characters or environments.

It’s not uncommon for a team of people to work on different segments of the same project, then come together to do play testing and work out any kinks before releasing the game to the public.

Software Engineering

Software engineering is a field of computer engineering that focuses on the design, development, maintenance and testing of software.

It is considered a part of the broader category of software development. In many organizations, software engineers are responsible for developing a product from inception to production.

This includes requirements analysis, algorithmic design, implementation and testing. They may also be involved in the maintenance and evolution of existing products.

Quality Assurance Testing

Quality assurance (QA) testing is a procedure that experts use to test the developed software or hardware components to confirm the quality of the product. The whole process is done to ensure that no negative impact on the final product is caused. The process of QA comprises multiple phases, including validation and verification.

It starts from the initial development phase itself and ends after the final delivery of the product. The recommendation is to test the product completely before delivering it to customers for maximum customer satisfaction. This increases customer satisfaction and assures no defect in any part of the product.

Mobile App Development

IBM states that (2):

“Mobile application development is the process of making software for smartphones, tablets and digital assistants, most commonly for the Android and iOS operating systems.”

– IBM

Graphic Design

Graphic design is the process of visual communication and problem-solving using one or more of typography, photography and image, printing, web design, motion graphics, 3D modeling and animation, video editing and other forms of visual media.

Graphic designers may use different tools and techniques to create digital and printed graphics. Graphic design often refers to both the process (designing) by which the communication is created and the products (designs) which are generated.

Tech Support

Tech support technicians are responsible for helping customers who have purchased products from the company. They will answer questions about the features of the product or software, how to use it or how to troubleshoot it when something goes wrong.

This can be over the phone, via email or in person at their location if needed. They will try to resolve an issue as quickly as possible by following standard procedures.

Web Programming

Web programming is writing code to create or update web pages, often utilizing a server-side language. Web programming involves using programming languages for coding, including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, ASP and Cold Fusion.

The goal of web programming is to leverage the power of the web by creating dynamic applications and updating content through remote servers.

UX/UI Design

UX stands for User Experience, and UI stands for User Interface. The most important part of UX/UI software design is the process of designing the interface of a computer application.

This process includes the structure of elements, the arrangement, the transition from one element to another and the visual presentation of information to users.

An important rule in this process is that it should be based on research into user needs, which are analyzed through usability studies. In addition to this analysis, various methods of interaction should be considered, including usability testing and information architecture.

Database Administration

Database administration is the process of managing a database. This includes designing, creating and maintaining the database solution. It involves identifying the requirements, developing the architecture, managing the implementation and ongoing support of the solution.

It may also include designing new systems that can interact/communicate with existing systems.

System Administration

System administration is the practice of administering and maintaining a computer system, including applications and services. This often includes monitoring systems to ensure they function correctly. Managing system resources and software upgrades, installing and configuring hardware components, configuring networking and backing up data.

Native App Development

Native App Development is the process of creating an application for a specific platform. This is opposed to cross-platform applications, which can be built to work on multiple operating systems. Native Apps are also called client apps because they’re developed specifically for one client (the platform’s owner) and one platform.

Desktop Software Development

A desktop application is a software program that runs from a desktop environment and typically interacts with the user in a GUI environment. These applications are used for different purposes, including email clients, word processors, media players and games. Desktop applications are designed to be launched from the desktop environment.

Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is the delivery of computer services — storage, software, applications and more — through a remote system operated by a service provider.

The service is over the Internet, typically through a web browser or dedicated software. This eliminates the need to purchase and maintain expensive hardware. Access to the software is available from any Internet-connected device (2).

“Cloud computing is the on-demand delivery of IT resources over the Internet with pay-as-you-go pricing. Instead of buying, owning, and maintaining physical data centers and servers, you can access technology services, such as computing power, storage, and databases…”

– AWS Amazon

Security Engineering

Security engineering analyzes and mitigates potential risks to secure a system, its environment or its operational components.

This involves understanding what security features are important, what threats to prevent and how to detect them. It’s about creating an organized set of security controls (i.e., a security architecture) and defining policies. Also, implementing and monitoring them.

Web Application Development

Web application development is the process of developing and maintaining web applications. A web application is a software application running over the Internet or an intranet, typically accessible by multiple users through a network. Web applications require highly specialized skills to be built and maintained by web developers.

API Development

An Application Programming Interface (API) describes how to interact with a system. It defines how developers can request data from and send data to an online system. When a user interacts with a website, the browser makes requests to the servers hosting the website.

When working with APIs, requests are sent by browsers and other programs developed to interact with the system. For example, you could build your program to send requests through the API to access and modify information on the website if you want to develop a mobile application to function on an existing website.

RAD (Rapid Application Development)

This approach takes an iterative or incremental approach to software development. While Waterfall is primarily concerned with functionality and design, RAD focuses more on getting working programs quickly so that users can test them and give feedback on a feature as soon as possible so that if the design turns out to be unworkable, the time has not been wasted.

Progressive Web Apps

Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) are web applications that can be installed like apps on a mobile device. These types of applications are designed to provide a better user experience.

It takes advantage of the capabilities present in mobile devices, such as push notifications, geolocation, NFC, and others. The apps also let users to leave reviews via the app stores and in some cases, can be more easily added to home screens.

Cross-Platform Development

Cross-platform development is a method of writing computer software that can run on different computing platforms. For instance, a single application may be written using web technologies and then published or deployed onto many operating systems. In this case, the same app code base can run on desktop browsers and mobile devices.

Hybrid Development

In a hybrid approach to app development, all parties involved — including designers, developers and customers — sit down and discuss their roles in creating the application. From there, all involved parties will create a detailed plan for how to go about developing the application.

Agile Software Development

Agile is a software development methodology for rapid and flexible responses to change. Agile is an umbrella term for several methodologies that help teams produce working software in short iterations, called sprints. Each sprint consists of a short development cycle (usually one or two weeks) punctuated by regular progress meetings.

In an agile environment, each developer takes responsibility for a small part of the project. This means the developers need to understand the user stories assigned to them and the overall purpose of the product to be created. They are then free to work on targeted features within the scope of their sprint rather than spending time on tasks they may not need.

IoT Software Development

The Internet of Things (IoT) software development tackles the creation of software solutions for intercommunicating smart objects. These devices are connected and interact with each other, their surrounding environment and users.

They can communicate data over a network using IP-based communication protocols. The data can be measured or sensed using sensing technologies, such as RFID, Zigbee, 6LoWPAN, Bluetooth or GPRS.

Block-Chain Development

Blockchain development is a term that encompasses different projects and tasks, including creating new protocols and consensus methods to support these technologies, developing new applications and services that can use blockchain technology and smart contract development.

While blockchain technology was created to support cryptocurrency transactions, it has more potential uses than just as the basis for digital currencies (3).

“This technology benefits more businesses around the world because blockchain technology allows businesses to conduct secure transactions without involving third parties.”

– Simplilearn Quote

VR Software Development

The virtual reality (VR) experience provides a computer-generated environment that looks and feels like the real world. The VR users interact with this synthetic world through sight, sound, touch or smell — or other types of feedback provided by computers.

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) is the science of making computers behave in ways that mimic human behavior. Developers can now create smart bots using AI and chatbot technology. With natural language processing, machine learning, deep learning and digital brain, developers can create more sophisticated bots to automate menial work for enterprises.

Machine Learning

Machine learning is a field of computer science that lets computers learn without being explicitly programmed. Machine Learning models can be trained using large amounts of data and make predictions about future data.

Common tasks used by machine learning include:

• Search engines use machine learning to improve search results and target advertising
• Face and voice recognition in photos and videos, text documents and emails
• Optimizing business operations (e.g., fraud detection)
• Medical diagnosis, monitoring heart conditions or health trends.

Software Development by Integration Technology

Integration technology is the method used by systems to connect and deliver software to users. Integration technologies have different features, from basic connectivity to advanced security. They are used to connecting multiple applications and allow the exchange of information between those applications.

Frequently Asked Questions About The Most Common Types of Software Development Examined

 

What is the use of web app development?

Web applications are great tools for businesses because they let companies reach online and connect with new customers.

Web application development creates useful tools, such as help desk ticketing systems, employee scheduling programs and financial calculators that can aid businesses in their daily operations. Large companies often turn to outsourcing their web appliaction development for reduced overhead. But it’s imporatnt to consider the pros and cons of outsourcing software development. (https://sonatafy.com/outsourcing-software-development-pros-and-cons/)

These programs provide benefits for businesses, such as time savings, improved efficiency and more streamlined business processes (4).

“Unlike a relatively static and simple website, a web app is dynamic, changing the display based on user inputs or actions.”

– Net Solutions

Why use desktop software development?

Desktop software development is the process of creating software applications for computers. It involves computer equipment to develop computer applications that run on a personal computer.

With desktop software development, code is written using a programming language and compiled to create executable files. These are then tested and debugged before being distributed to end users.

Businesses use desktop software development services because it lets them have complete control over all aspects of their software. This means they have full control over the design and look of their product and how it works.

The business will not have to worry about any issues related to licensing, copyright infringement or anything else that might arise if they were to commission someone else to develop it for them.

Why use cloud software development?

Cloud computing lets companies save money and resources for their day-to-day business needs by using a combination of on-site hardware and off-site software hosted in a remote data center. Cloud computing empowers companies to do more complex things than they could otherwise.

With cloud computing, companies can access professional applications with a click of a button. It’s like having an IT department at their fingertips without all the overhead costs.

This means they can easily set up an appointment scheduling system for their customers or a website for selling products from home.

It’s also perfect for companies with seasonal or fluctuating workforce. When you’re small and growing, you need flexibility — cloud computing gives it to you.

What are the benefits of VR Development?

While many people know that VR development is just for fun and can be used for entertainment, there are also many reasons businesses should utilize VR development.

Businesses might use VR development to help train new employees. For example, if you own a retail store, you could use VR to show new hires how to handle various customer scenarios, helping them feel more confident in their jobs from the beginning. As a result, your employees will likely be more satisfied with their job and the company.

VR can also be used for marketing purposes. For example, if you’re launching a new product or service, you can create an immersive experience with consumers feeling they’re in the middle of whatever you’re trying to market.

This can go a long way toward helping your business stand out from the competition. You might also use VR to show off another location of your business or property — this would let potential customers feel as though they’ve already seen what you have to offer before they even visit your online store.

Conclusion

Software development is the process of developing a computer program as software. The type of software development process you use will affect the outcome of your project. At the same time, it may increase its development cost, require longer production time and introduce other unexpected consequences.

References:

1. 1. Front-end development is the part of software development that is most available to the user. That is, this type of software development is immediately visible to the users as it consists of the graphical elements of any system, application, or website. – Trio Quote
      https://www.trio.dev/blog/types-software-development
   2. Cloud computing is the on-demand delivery of IT resources over the Internet with pay-as-you-go pricing. Instead of buying, owning, and maintaining physical data centers and servers, you can access technology services, such as computing power, storage, and databases… – AWS Amazon Quote
      https://aws.amazon.com/what-is-cloud-computing/
   3. This technology benefits more businesses around the world because blockchain technology allows businesses to conduct secure transactions without involving third parties. – Simplilearn Quote
      https://www.simplilearn.com/tutorials/blockchain-tutorial/how-to-become-a-blockchain-developer
   4. Unlike a relatively static and simple website, a web app is dynamic, changing the display based on user inputs or actions. – Net Solutions Quote
      https://www.netsolutions.com/insights/types-of-software-development/