Learning how to create software may seem a rather complex process, since it requires general technical knowledge, but we assure you that, with the necessary knowledge and constant practice, you should have no problem designing successful projects.
At this point, you may be wondering:
how to create an accounting software?
how to create an educational software?
how to create a database software in the cloud?
If you are willing to develop hardware and software-related products that enhance customer experiences, then you will be bringing to market innovative products that are rich in usability and speed to make operations more efficient, secure and productive.
As Dibbe Edwards, vice president of IBM’s how to build software business, comments, “Software has emerged as a key differentiator in many products, from cars to washing machines, with a growing internet of things connecting them.”
In this post, we’ll tell you how to create software from scratch, what are the phases of the software project development process and which model to choose for your project. join us!
1. Define the type of software you want to develop
When we talk about creating software, we can refer to a wide variety of software products, from video games to apps and important system programs. For that reason, it is important to define what kind of program you intend to develop.
There are two categories under which you can establish what kind of programming you intend to create:
System applications: focuses on creating programs that meet the needs of users.
System development: specializes in the creation and maintenance of operating systems through life cycle development.
The most popular types of software today are as follows:
System software
System software, also known as operating software, are all those resources and main programs of an operating system. The execution of this type of functionality is performed on top of the rest of the software, although it depends on the operating system.
Among these operating systems are the following:
Windows
MacOS
Ubuntu
Unix
Solaris
Fedora
Within this type of system software, device drivers or diagnostic tools, for example, may also be included.
Programming software
As for programming software, they are usually the most common ones for programmers and professionals in the IT field. Basically, they encompass all those tools with which professionals seek to create new software.
what kind of tools? For example:
Text editors
Compilers
Linkers
Interpreters
Debuggers
Application software
Application software are all those programs that are used to enable any kind of task within a computer. For this reason, they are the most popular types of software.
Here you will find some classic platforms such as:
Word processors.
Editors (e.g. Photoshop).
Spreadsheets.
Design programs.
Communications programs.
Development software
Here we can no longer talk about how to create software, because it is not the kind of software that is not manufactured, but developed. Although it is not the same whether the development comes from a programmer or a team of programmers (in terms of workload), the procedure is similar.
For a software development team, it is very common for one of the developers to be responsible for the overall vision of the project in question, as well as for the other functions and tasks of each of the components.
However, regardless of the case, the team must be in constant communication for the final software to be functional.
Free software
We could not talk about how to create software and not mention free software. This movement was developed in 1985 and its development has become synonymous with freedom and independence for many people.
why do we say this? Because this software is designed so that anyone can access it. They have the option to install it, to use it… and even transform it if they wish!
Source: Pexels
2. Think about what programming language you should use
It is important that, if you are considering developing the program yourself, you learn a programming language. Anyone can come up with ideas, but only a developer will be able to turn the idea into something tangible.
Specifically, within a software language are the following components:
Variable and vectors: variables come to be a kind of data containers, while vectors are a set of composite variables.
Conditional: those premises that are indispensable for a program to be executed.
Loops: in case there is a premise, the loops must be used for code execution.
Functions: variables that enclose code within themselves.
Even if you only want to work on the design aspects of software, you should be familiar with coding, such as JavaScript or Python. Popular languages also include C, C++ and C# for creating games, applications, drivers, operating systems and other examples of software projects for a company.
Remember that the code writing stage is usually the longest, as it is the backbone of the entire project development phase. So you should start by determining the type of language you will use to develop your product.
3. Brainstorming
do you want to know the parameters you should follow to start your software project off on the right foot? We will tell you about them below:
First, it is essential to perform a business analysis. Professional analysts accurately define the business needs and can recommend a solution that will bring value to all business stakeholders on the optimal software development.
Then, a second important point is to perform a set of tasks to create a strategy for systems development that facilitates and improves processes, incorporates significant changes and creates new policies.
A third point that you must include in the initial activities of the creation and development of a software, is to have a work plan for the program that you want to develop and, in addition, you must include the purpose of the program and the functions that you want to include.
To get to this point, brainstorming can be a great help. The creation of innovative ideas is a challenge, because any project in mind must be carefully thought out in order to be successfully implemented.
Software project planning is key at this stage because it generates the main requirements, the scope of the project, defines the means, the availability of resources and the issues related to costs and deadlines.
If you have doubts about how to brainstorm properly, we offer you the best brainstorming tools to get your projects off to a good start.
Source: Pexels
4. Make sure that your program complies with the characteristics of software
When looking to create a software, it is inevitable to ask ourselves what characteristics a software must have to be considered as such.
The characteristics of software are divided into 3:
Operational characteristics
These features refer mainly to the functionality of the software. That is to say, they would be the external part of the program in question.
Although not all these features are taken into account when creating a software, there are certain aspects that unify this type of resources, such as, for example:
Correctness: it must fulfill the objectives for which it was created.
Usability: easy to learn and understand.
Integrity: that is, that it is not a software with side effects.
Reliability: that is to say, that the software does not have any defect. That is to say, that the software does not fail during execution.
Efficiency: the way in which the software uses the resources at its disposal, such as storage space, for example.
Security: resistant to external actions and attacks.
Transition characteristics
Here we include outstanding aspects that can refer to both internal and external aspects of a given software. It includes elements such as the following:
Interoperability: it represents the willingness to exchange information with other applications.
Reusability: being able to use the software code, with various modifications and for various purposes.
Portability: to be accessible from different equipment.
Revision characteristics
At this point, we include those engineering elements, which could be the internal quality of the software, such as documentation, structure and efficiency:
Maintainability: at the moment of creating the software, it must be easy to maintain.
Flexibility: it must be available to be modified by the developers.
Extensibility: it is easy to add new functions.
Scalability: the software should be easy to upgrade for more work.
Modularity: it must be composed of modules and units independent of each other.
Testability: it must be easy to test the software.
These are the ways in which the characteristics of this type of platforms can be qualified, which you should keep in mind before creating a software.
5. Lean on online resources
There are many resources that can help you know how to make a good software development and, thanks to the internet, you can find online courses that will allow you to learn quickly while working on your projects with programs to create a software.
Source: Pexels
6. Write the project documentation
Once you are clear on how to create software, start with writing your project documentation. This file should describe the features and what you are looking to achieve with the project.
Starting with the software documentation is a good way to work through the steps in an orderly fashion for the development of the system. It will also help you stay focused and on track.
Of course, before investing time and money in the project, it is important to conduct a feasibility analysis of the software development process.
The feasibility study can show how to make the creation of the software profitable in the long term by evaluating all the factors (economic and technical) that are likely to affect the development of the project. And you can structure this at the time of making your respective documentation.
Always go back to the guide for details when writing the project.
7. Determine the design that your project will have and elaborate a prototype
Design is the phase of project development that involves the conceptualization of the product. It is done according to the specifications written during the first two stages of software development.
Designers build the complete structure of the project and provide the final prototype that will be used for the next steps of software development.
Prototyping is a basic step in creating software that shows the functionality you intend to achieve at the end of your project. Fundamentally, it is a model that is developed quickly, and that must be repeated until the software works correctly.
It is normal for the prototype to change during the development cycle of a program as new ways of approaching problems arise or as new ideas are born that you want to incorporate into the project.
8. Do usability testing
Bugs are every programmer’s nightmare, so it is always recommended to test (as many times as necessary) during software development.
9. Apply software integration and implementation
The integration of all sources and environments is essential to discover how to create a software program efficiently.
This process helps to determine in time how many problems, conflicts and errors exist in the software development process. Now, implementation is the phase responsible for software engineering on the quality control of the code written by the developers.
In this stage of software development, different frameworks and types of testing are used to find out if there are any bugs in the system. The newly built and tested application is moved to production, including the transfer of data and components.
10. Release the first version
Finally, the first version of the software build is released, which includes periodic maintenance and updates.
Remember: each of the stages of the software lifecycle depends on the model for the software development process chosen by each company, such as:
The waterfall model
The agile model
As you can see, learning how to create successful software from scratch does not represent a great difficulty. You only need perseverance, effort and discipline to apply the corresponding steps to design a program that is up to your job.
this has been our post! If you want to know more about how to create successful software, sign up for our web development and technology courses, where you will learn how to develop the best software on the market and create the best programs in the industry.