Difference between SDLC and STLC
Overview
SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle) is a structured process that guides the creation of software from requirements analysis to implementation and maintenance. It includes steps such as requirements gathering, system design, coding, testing, implementation, and maintenance.
STLC (Software Testing Life Cycle) a subset of SDLC, focuses on software quality. STLC includes requirements analysis, test planning, test case development, execution, defect reporting, regression testing, and closure. Together, SDLC and STLC ensure efficient and high-quality software that meets user needs and minimizes defects and risks throughout the software lifecycle.
Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)
1. Requirements Gathering:
In this phase, project stakeholders including customers, users, and developers work together to define and gather functional and non-functional requirements for the software. This requires understanding the needs of end users and documenting what the software should achieve.
2. System Design:
The architecture and design of the system are created based on the collected requirements. This step describes the structure, components, interfaces, and data flow of the software. Design decisions consider scalability, maintainability, and efficiency.
3. Implementation:
The actual coding of the software takes place in this phase. Developers write, test, and integrate code to create the functional components described in the design phase. Code review and testing are critical to ensuring code quality and identifying and fixing problems early.
4. Testing:
Software testing is a critical phase where the developed software is rigorously tested to identify bugs, errors, and inconsistencies. The goal is to ensure that the software meets the specified requirements and functions as intended by performing various types of testing.
5. Deployment:
After the software passes testing, it is deployed to a production environment where end users can use it. Deployment may include setting up servers, configuring databases, and making the software available to the target audience.
6. Maintenance:
After deployment, ongoing maintenance and support are required to resolve issues in the production environment. This phase includes fixes, updates, improvements, and optimizations to keep the software reliable and efficient over time.
More insights can be found at SDLC Software Development Life Cycle article
Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC)
1. Requirement Analysis:
In this phase, testers and QA specialists analyze the requirements set by stakeholders and create a detailed understanding of what is expected from the software. This includes identifying the test objectives, scope, and potential risks associated with the project.
2. Test Planning:
It involves creating a comprehensive test strategy and plan. This plan describes the testing method, scope of testing, required resources, schedule, and distribution of tasks among the testing team. The plan also outlines the types of testing to be performed.
3. Test Case Design:
Test scenarios and test cases are developed based on requirements and test objectives. Test scenarios describe the flow of activities to be tested, while test cases provide specific steps and expected results for each scenario.
4. Test Environment Setup:
An appropriate test environment is prepared that replicates the actual production environment as closely as possible. This includes the configuration of hardware, software, databases, networks, and other components required for testing.
5. Test Execution:
This phase involves the actual execution of the test cases in the prepared test environment. Testers follow predefined test cases, record results, and identify anomalies or errors in software behavior. Various testing techniques such as manual testing or automated testing can be used to execute test cases.
6. Defect Reporting and Tracking:
If defects are discovered during testing, they are documented in detail and communicated to the development team. It contains information about the error, the steps to reproduce it, and how it affects the software. Bug tracking tools are often used to manage and track the status of reported bugs.
7. Defect Fixing and Retesting:
After the development team has fixed the reported bugs, the testing team retests the software to ensure that the issues are resolved and that the fixes do not introduce new issues. This iterative process continues until the software meets the defined quality standards.
8. Regression Testing:
As changes are made to the software during the development and testing process, it is important to perform regression testing. This requires retesting all or certain parts of the software to ensure that new changes have not adversely affected existing functionality.
9. Test Closure:
A comprehensive test summary report is prepared. This report summarizes the test activities, results, defects found, and their status. It also assesses whether the software meets predefined exit criteria and is ready for deployment.
More insight can be found Software Test Life Cycle (STLC) article
Key Difference Between SDLC and STLC
| SDLC | STLC | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose and Focus | SDLC focuses on the overall process of creating a software application, starting from gathering requirements, designing, coding, and deploying the software, to maintaining and enhancing it. | STLC outlines the various phases and activities involved in planning, designing, executing, and managing software testing to ensure the quality and reliability of the software. |
| Scope | SDLC encompasses the entire software development process. | STLC is a subset of SDLC, concentrating solely on the testing phases and activities. |
| Objectives | SDLC is to produce a functional and reliable software product that meets the specified requirements. | The primary objective of STLC is to identify defects and ensure that the software meets quality standards. |
| Phases and Activities | SDLC consists of phases in development. | STLC comprises phases in Testing. |
| Timing | SDLC begins at the inception of the project and continues until the software is deployed. | STLC is embedded within the SDLC and primarily occurs during the testing phase. |
| Teams Involved | SDLC involves various teams, including business analysts, developers, designers, and testers. | STLC is primarily executed by the testing team. |
| Outcome | The outcome of SDLC is a fully developed and functional software application that is ready for deployment. | The outcome of STLC is a thoroughly tested software application. |
SDLC vs. STLC
| Aspect | SDLC | STLC |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose and Focus | Focuses on each Software Development Life Cycle phase and make it streamlined. | Concentrates solely on the software testing process, ensuring quality and identifying defects. |
| Scope | Encompasses all stages of software development, including requirements analysis, design, coding, testing, deployment, and maintenance. | Concentrates on testing phases such as requirement analysis, test planning, test execution, defect tracking, retesting, and regression testing. |
| Objectives | Aim to produce a functional software product that meets specified requirements, is reliable and satisfies end-user needs. | Aims to ensure software quality, identify defects, and verify that the software functions as intended. |
| Phases and Activities | Includes requirements gathering, system design, implementation, testing, deployment, and maintenance. | Involves requirement analysis, test planning, test case design, test execution, defect reporting, retesting, regression testing, and test closure. |
| Timing | Spans the entire project, from inception to deployment and maintenance of the software. | Primarily occurs during the testing phase of the SDLC. |
| Teams Involved | Involves various teams such as business analysts, developers, designers, and testers collaborating to build the software. | Mainly executed by the testing team, consisting of testers and QA professionals. |
| Outcome | Results in a fully developed and functional software application, ready for deployment. | Yields a thoroughly tested software application with identified and resolved defects, prepared for deployment. |
| Main Responsibility | Focuses on designing, coding, testing, and deploying the software application. | Primarily concerned with ensuring software quality and identifying defects through testing. |
| Emphasis | Emphasizes the complete software development process and building the software itself. | Emphasizes detection and resolution of defects, software quality, and testing procedures. |
Conclusion
Certainly, here's the information summarized into 7 small bullet points:
- SDLC & STLC are vital for software development and testing.
- SDLC promotes collaboration and iterative development.
- STLC ensures quality through systematic testing.
- Both cycles are interlinked and adaptable.
- They manage risks, time, and costs effectively.
- Customer satisfaction and industry standards are prioritized.
- Continuous improvement and documentation enhance processes.