Are you considering software development for your organization? Learn everything you need to about how software development works and get a step-by-step guide on building a software project in this insightful guide.
What is Software Development?
Software development is the process of developing, designing, deploying, testing, and maintaining diverse software applications for various operating systems.
Software development refers to the comprehensive process of designing, creating, and implementing every stage of the software development life cycle (SDLC).
Understanding software development basics is crucial as it includes the foundational principles and processes involved in creating apps, programs, or scripts for various devices and operating systems.
The software development market is expected to achieve a valuation of $1039 million by 2027 with a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of $22.54% from 2020 to 2027.
Some prominent software examples are Microsoft Word, Google Chrome, Adobe Reader, and many more applications we use every day.
Common Reasons for Software Development:
- Custom Software: To meet the unique requirements of a client or business.
- Commercial Software: To meet the specific requirements of a particular group or audience.
- Personalized Software: For personal use (like creating billing software for a pharmacy owner).
Software Developers Vs. Software Programmers
Software developers are skilled professionals responsible for writing code to run the application. Their primary focus lies in providing logic to the software. They work with different departments to turn your project needs into features. Additionally, they play a pivotal role throughout the Software Development Life Cycle (SLDC). They are also responsible for software testing and maintenance to refine the software.
Software programmers are experts who write the code of a software program to perform specific tasks, such as displaying texts, merging databases, and more. Usually, they are skilled in various programming languages like JavaScript, C++, Java, and more.
The roles of Software Developers and Software Engineers are sometimes misunderstood, as some individuals perceive their roles to be alike. However, they are not.
Software Development Engineers tackle business challenges by employing software engineering steps and principles for software products. They use the best software development tools and modern software development frameworks to develop scalable solutions. Software engineers aim to ensure that developed solutions are feasible and work smoothly in the real world.
In every sector, businesses and groups recognize the significance of creating large-scale software development. It led to a growing demand for software developers, creating more chances for employment.
Types of Software Development
There are numerous software development types available in the market, and they are categorized based on their technical qualities or use cases. Let’s explore them now.
Application Software Development:
Application development is the process of creating and developing a computer program designed to meet the specific requirements of users, businesses, or organizations. These applications are developed to perform specific tasks that automate business processes and manual work.
To develop an application, you need to have a good understanding of various application development languages, such as Java, C++, Python, etc.
Custom Software Development:
Custom software development is the process of designing and developing unique software tailored to meet the specific requirements of specific users and organizations.
Custom software development is an ideal choice to gain a competitive edge for your business in a way that off-the-shelf commercial software cannot provide.
Programming languages like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Java, and PHP play a crucial role in embracing custom software development trends.
Web Development:
Web development is a software-building process that involves creating and developing a website, encompassing web design, web publishing, web programming, and database management that operates on the internet.
To develop robust web applications, it’s crucial to know diverse web development technologies like Python, ASP.NET, Django, PHP, HTML, JavaScript, and more.
Mobile App Development:
The increasing use of mobile devices has made mobile app development a necessity for businesses. Mobile app development is the process of developing an app for mobile devices such as Android, iPhones, and Windows.
There are different technologies or frameworks for mobile app development, such as Android, iOS, Swift, Objective C, Flutter, and Kotlin are used to develop mobile applications.
API Development:
API (Application Programming Interface) development is the process of developing a program that enables various applications to interact with each other, even across different operating systems.
An API includes a set of instructions and specifications that allow the software to utilize functions or services from other applications.
Several types of APIs are:
- Web Service APIs
- WebSocket APIs
- Library-based APIs
- Hardware APIs
- Class-based APIs
Embedded Software Development:
Embedded software development is created for particular systems to manage and control devices such as mobile phones, cars, and robots. Coding skills are needed for embedded devices like Arduino and Raspberry Pi are covered to build embedded software.
Cloud-Computing Development:
Cloud computing development is the process of developing an app that operates in a cloud environment. Cloud computing development services are accessed through remote server networks instead of local servers or personal devices. Cloud-oriented software like AWS, GitHub, Google Drive, Azure, and OneDrive can operate seamlessly on cloud computing.
Some Cloud computing technologies are Google’s Go, R, Eriang, XML, Java, etc.
Database Development:
Database management or development is a crucial aspect of any software. It primarily involves the process of the back end of the system. This process allows you to store and manage data on the server side.
Database management technologies include Python, Oracle, Java, etc.
Software Tools Development:
Every software development industry should focus on creating software tools development as an important aspect of development.
For software tool development, you can use various technologies, such as Java, C++, Python, and . NET.
Explore “15 types of software development” today!
Benefits of Software Development Process
A software development plan is crucial for building software with advanced features that can automate your business processes. Ultimately, it enhances the customer experience and efficiency of your software product engineering.
Here are the top 5 reasons to choose software development for your business.
- Enhanced Brand Visibility:
By utilizing the right software development methodologies, you can easily promote your business brand globally and connect with the intended target audience. Software development enables your brand to distinguish itself from competitors.
- Improved Sales and Services:
In this competitive era, it is crucial to stay connected with your customers and know their thoughts and feedback about your services or products. So, it is important to provide a way for your customers to reach out, share their opinions about your products, and give feedback. It will help you incorporate their feedback into your existing products, satisfy their needs, and ultimately increase sales.
- Increases Customer Engagement:
Every business aims to grow the list of its loyal customers. Now, the question is, how can a business increase its customer base? The answer is software development.
Companies must develop software and create strategies to promote their business. You can increase customer engagement by developing a user-friendly and captivating mobile app or website with the help of professionals from Hashlogics.
- Competitive Advantage:
When you promote your business through online marketing, there are more chances of getting noticed by numerous people. This is how you attract the interest of many users. Moreover, if you provide users with everything they need without hassle, they will always choose your business over competitors.
- One-on-One Connection:
Software development is the only way to communicate with your clients directly. It is one of the quickest ways to improve your brand visibility and connect with the customers for improvement.
What is the Software Development Lifecycle?
The Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is a systematic approach used by the software industry to create, develop, and test high-quality software. The objective of SDLC is to generate high-quality software that meets or surpasses customer expectations.
What is the Product Development Lifecycle?
The product development life cycle (PDLC) encompasses the entire process of developing and launching a product to the market.
This process consists of five steps:
- Conceptualization
- Product Design
- Product Development
- Product Release
- Product Realization and Upgrades
What is the Software Development Process? The Stages We Go Through:
Software development is a systematic process that involves designing, coding, testing, and debugging to create functional and reliable software applications.
Seven Steps in Software Development Life Cycle
- Requirement Gathering
- Analysis
- Design
- Development
- Testing
- Deployment
- Maintenance
As a prominent software development company, we prioritize the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) in software engineering for secure software development. Our skilled software developers follow each phase of software development, including project ideation. concept validation, requirements specification, design, prototyping, documentation testing, bug fixing, support, and ongoing maintenance.
Our Chosen Software Development Methodologies
(Here, the image will be added, which will include the names of methodologies i.e. agile, scrum, waterfall, DevOps, and feature-driven methodologies).
Even a small software project requires the expertise of many IT professionals, numerous meetings, strategic planning, discussions, and a well-defined budget and timeline for the team.
Therefore, Hashlogics offers diverse software development frameworks and methodologies, that allow you to choose the model that best suits your project needs.
Some of the most popular are listed below:
Agile Software Development:
The Agile methodology is one of the most prevailing software development approaches. It is embraced by various organizations, ranging from startups to large enterprises.
In our Agile software development, developers build software through iterations called Sprints instead of creating an entire product in a single phase, as in the waterfall model. Each sprint usually takes 1 to 4 weeks to develop. During this time, our team of designers, coders, and testers collaborates to complete a module or feature.
Benefits:
- Team-work-oriented approach.
- Frequent releases (1-2 per month).
- Flexible method.
Explore our “comprehensive guide to Agile Methodology.”
Scrum Methodology
Scrum is an Agile framework. The Scrum framework follows Agile principles and offers a specific structure for development.
A key component of the Scrum framework is the Sprint. A sprint is a defined period within Scrum development for completing specific tasks.
Benefits:
- Release a functional product every 2-4 weeks.
- Flexible approach.
- Regular team meetings.
- Handles incomplete requirements.
Waterfall Software Development:
The waterfall model is a precise and linear software development methodology. In the Waterfall model, we go through the steps in one direction, which means that we start the next step right after the completion of the previous one. Our professionals work on the product from the initial idea to its deployment in a sequential manner.
(Below six stages will be added in the image form)
Six stages we follow for Waterfall development:
- Discovery
- Design
- Development
- Testing
- Deployment
- Maintenance and Support
Benefits:
- A simple and practical approach.
- Simplified cost estimations and timeframes.
- Limited client involvement.
- Well-suited for fixed-priced projects.
Lean Software Development:
Lean software development is quite similar to Agile. In essence, the Lean development methodology is often known for its MVP strategy. With this approach, our team releases the product in its minimal version. It allows you to gather feedback from users and enhance the product accordingly.
Benefits:
- Best for startups.
- Shortest time-to-market.
- Quick development.
DevOps Software Methodology
Recently, DevOps has become a popular methodology. DevOps is an organizational culture and a set of activities.
DevOps involves the practice of software engineers participating in every stage of the software development process, from design and testing to deployment.
Benefits:
- Decreases the failure rates of new releases.
- Quick time to market.
- Reliability of the development flow.
Feature-Driven Development
The feature-Driven Development (FDD) methodology is the best option, if you want to combine various development approaches and techniques.
It is commonly used by large organizations working with object-oriented technologies.
Space for image -The steps we follow to deliver to deliver a robust solution:
- Model creation
- Developing a list of functionalities
- Planning
- Designing
- Feature encoding
Our Go-To Programming Languages for Software Development
The five most popular programming languages for software development are:
- Python
- Java
- JavaScript
- C#
- PHP
The Key Elements in Our Software Development Toolbox: Tools, Frameworks, and Libraries.
Frameworks and libraries are ecosystems written in specific programming languages, such as JavaScript to assist you in software development.
As a renowned software development company, we use well-known software development frameworks, libraries, and tools.
Leading Software Development Tools:
- LINX
- HeadSpin
- Netbeans
- Cloud 9
Leading Software Development Frameworks:
- NodeJS
- AngularJS
- VueJS
Leading Software Development Libraries:
- Bootstrap
- React
- Loadash
What is a Software Development Kit?
A Software Development Kit (SDK) is a toolkit containing a compiler, debugger, framework, and other tools, all in a single installable package. They are created to assist in creating software for a specific combination of hardware platforms and operating systems.
Our Software Development Team at Hashlogics
When you hire software developers from Hashlogics, you get access to the skilled experts needed at every step of software development. Our team consists of hundreds of technocrats with expertise across various fields and industries.
Whether you’re planning to work on a small software project or a larger one, we will assist you with the necessary expertise, like Project Manager, full-stack developer, UI/UX Designer, Data Analyst, and QA Expert. You have the flexibility to scale your software development team based on project requirements and budget.
The specialists in each role will vary depending on the specific requirements of the project.
Product Owner
The product owner plays an important role as the main stakeholder in overseeing the vision of a software development project. Their key responsibility is to collaborate with clients to identify, assess, and fine-tune product requirements. Their primary duty is to supervise the team and ensure the project is progressing in the right direction.
Project Manager
The project manager ensures a seamless development process and transparent communication with clients. They act as a bridge between our development team and clients.
Team Lead
At Hashlogics, our tech leads play a crucial role in selecting the appropriate technology stacks for projects to align with business objectives. This role is commonly known as the Software Architect.
Tech leads actively engage with stakeholders or clients to determine the suitable frameworks/programming languages and the methodology the team will follow. You also have the option to hire a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) expert as a key team lead.
Developer
Software developers are classified based on their skills and expertise. We have
- Front-end developers for creating the user interface of the software.
- Back-end developers to program or code the server side of the system. Their responsibilities include handling user inputs, integrating databases, and managing servers.
- Full-stack developers who are proficient in both front-end and back-end development.and visually engaging. Additionally, they also create functionalities of how elements will interact and respond. Hiring UIUX designers from Hashlogics is a cost-effective solution, as our designers excel in both the visual appeal (UI) and functional design (UX) of the software.
QA Testers:
The Quality Assurance (QA) is responsible for ensuring that software works as smoothly as it’s supposed to. Using different testing methods, our team detects and fixes bugs and errors during development.
Business Analyst:
Our business analysts manage the business aspects of technology development. They conduct thorough research and analysis of market trends and consumer behavior to determine how the software aligns with market needs.
A Compilation of Best Practices Utilized by Our Team in Software Development
Hashlogics is recognized for delivering secure and scalable software development services. With over a decade of expertise in the software development industry, we have identified and implemented best practices that align with today’s dynamic tech environment.
Nurturing Open Communication:
As leaders in DevOps and Agile practices, transparent communication plays a crucial role in our software team. Trust and transparency are foundational to our approach, creating an environment where everyone can freely share their thoughts.
We encourage team members to voice their opinions and ensure their perspectives are valued, whether discussing workflows, providing feedback, or task breakdown. It serves as an effective method to illustrate that each team member brings valuable contributions beyond their regular responsibilities.
Crafting Frameworks for Process Documentation:
We have noticed that a lack of documentation can lead to project failure. Consequently, our experts follow the comprehensive documentation process throughout the project lifecycle. This approach allows our team to analyze and monitor their activities while working on product requirements documents.
Some necessary information is:
- Coding standards
- Time spent on tasks
- Tools used
- Accessibility of credentials
- Milestones
- Code reviews and versions
- Release versions and notes
Opting for the Right Software Development Tools
The success of a software development project not only depends on having a well-organized workflow and effective team management. It is also about using the right tools to build the programs, assisting our team to do tasks to their maximum potential, and enhancing productivity.
At Hashlogics, our developers possess expertise in selecting the best development tools. We provide training to ensure that their learning curves for new frameworks or technologies are significantly reduced.
Strategic Leadership
An Effective leadership strategy can lead to increased productivity within the team. Our leaders create a culture that promotes experimentation among developers, encouraging the team to approach their work with creativity.
Partner with Hashlogics to Hire a Software Development Team
As a prominent software development company, Hashlogics deeply understands the industry and current market requirements. We have assembled dedicated software development teams for our clients.
We excel in providing rapid and cost-effective offshore and nearshore software development services. Our offshore software developers are here to assist you in turning your digitalization strategies into a digital-first world using the power of the latest technologies.
Through our offshore software development services, you gain access to a skilled offshore team, outstanding application development, industry best practices for digital products and processes, and cost-efficient development solutions.
At Hashlogics, we take pride in being your trusted partner for comprehensive software development services. We offer a diverse range of services to bring your ideas to life. Whether you are looking for Custom Software Development, Software Development Outsourcing, Software Consulting, Software Product Development, Cloud Application Development, or SaaS Application Development. We have got you covered.
Stay one step ahead in the ever-evolving world of software development! Our latest blog post, “Future of Software Development: Software Development Trends & Predictions” unveils the upcoming trends and predictions that will shape the industry.
