The most significant thing a warrior has is their tools and weapons. The right combination of tools makes it effortless to win the war. Similarly, the right technology stack aids software developers to build applications with minimal effort.

When it comes to selecting the right technology stack, one should consider the security, stability, and maintainability of the software product being developed. The right technology stack is not only essential for good UI and flexible UX, but also for the success of the whole project.

What is software product development?

The process under which programmers develop computer programs is known as software development. This process is also known as the software development life cycle. (SDLC). It includes multiple phases that provide a technique to build a product that satisfies technical specifications and user requirements.

A methodical technique for creating software that provides superior quality and scalability is the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). Software developers can design and enhance their computer programs using the SDLC, which offers a worldwide standard.

The methodology of the software development life cycle includes multiple phases and processes in which the product development process is finished in a defined period of time.

The software development life cycle works step by step, by following product development services and the product development process.

Steps for SDLC

Identification

Before a development company builds software development models, it needs to perform extensive market research to determine the product’s viability.

There are several ways to get information about a product, including feedback from potential customers and surveys. A developer should determine the functions and product development services that should be provided to the customers.

Discussions about the product's advantages, disadvantages, and prospects must also take place among the IT teams and other corporate departments. Software development processes can only get started if the finished product meets all success-related requirements.

Analysis

The second stage of the software development life cycle is analysis. Organizations here concur on the technical requirements, user requirements, and product specifications needed for the proposed product to succeed. The analysis stage is less theoretical and more concerned with the actual application.

This stage provides a clear explanation of each component, the scope, the developer's responsibilities, and the testing needs in order to generate a high-quality result.

This gives you the chance to do a functional analysis and determine the system's client or user demands. This demonstrates that before proceeding to subsequent steps, plans must satisfy all necessary objectives.

Various tools may be employed by a business during this analysis phase. Internally created systems, widely accessible or for-profit software, and research approaches may all fall under this category.

This stage offers a comprehensive breakdown of each component, the scope, the developer's duties, and the testing requirements to produce a high-quality product.

Design

The third phase of software development is design. The extremely technical specifications that architects and developers need to create the software are written. This includes specifying the system's structure and identifying any important components.

In the Design Specification Document, the product's architectural design, parts, communication, front-end representation, and user flows are all detailed (DSD).

High-quality work during this stage lays the groundwork for future development and gives you and the other team members the chance to succeed.

Development

You start building the new system's functionality while it is still under development. This offers the first chance to evaluate the system practically as it evolves.

The requirements and specifications agreed upon in the earlier stages serve as the foundation for the code created by developers.

The development process also includes developing updates for any potential flaws that may have been found. Waiting for test results or compiling code are just two examples of software development process problems that SDLC can identify and prevent from delaying production.

As a result, they can test a pilot version of the application to make sure that it performs as expected.

Testing 

Testing is a crucial stage in ensuring the quality of a project both during development and before official release. Before making the software available to users, this stage examines it for flaws and confirms its performance.

Since software development is frequently divided into smaller projects finished by different persons and teams, applications must be tested continually to verify that they will work effectively together.

Iterative processes are frequently used in the systems testing and integration phase. In order to verify the functionality of certain software components, testers utilize either exploratory testing or test scripts, depending on their familiarity with the software.

The process is repeated by the testers until the program is fault-free and functions as expected. As a result, fewer issues can be encountered by consumers when using the application.

Deployment

Following the conclusion of testing, an application is deployed, making it accessible to users. Depending on the application's complexity and requirements, this process step may be either manual or automated.

This stage offers the chance to learn through practical assessment by those who use the system in their personal or professional lives. The IT software development company forms a maintenance staff to handle issues customers encounter while using the product.

After deployment, there might still be some potential trouble spots that need to be fixed, so you can use your debugging and troubleshooting process on these spots.

Determining the best SDLC method for a project.

Software teams utilize a multi-step process called a software development life cycle (SDLC) to write programs with the fewest possible defects. Each technique takes a unique approach to producing high-quality software.

In order to provide predictability for all development activities, it is crucial to have and adhere to established processes in software development. Software Development cycles or methodologies, in essence, are a set of stages or actions that an organism, or in this example, a software application, goes through in a series of iterations to get the intended result.

Software development methodologies are reusable, repeatable processes that, when used appropriately, have a high probability of producing effective results. We'll go through some of the most popular SDLC methodology categories. 

1)  Agile

The Agile software development methodology is a technique for creating software in an incremental and iterative manner that allows for rapid project changes.

The software development team completes their job quickly, usually within a few weeks, using the Agile methodology. As they go through new iterations of the software, this process uses what programmers call "fast failure" to revise and test.

The Agile methodology makes use of the Scrum framework, which mandates that teams create hypotheses about how they believe they can complete the task, put their way into practice, evaluate it, and adapt it in response to feedback.

Capable of accommodating any new improvements or adjustments made throughout the development process without being constrained by a budget.

Engages business stakeholders, such as project managers, and regularly solicits their input as the product is being developed. Agile encourages intense cooperation among cross-functional teams and all parties concerned.

2) waterfall

The classic model used in the software development process is the waterfall model, commonly referred to as a linear sequential model. According to this approach, the subsequent phase doesn't begin until the prior one is finished. 

A project's components are meticulously planned out before beginning with the waterfall methodology. Developers employ the waterfall methodology, which is simple since it builds on each stage that comes before it.

Compared to iterative techniques like the Agile model, it takes a great deal longer to complete the final delivery. The planning phase does not take into consideration changes brought on by the business plans or market impacts.

3) Iterative

Software teams use the Iterative approach, which does not require substantial planning, to implement requirements. As soon as a need is established, developers test each item as they work on the project and make revisions as necessary.

Enables developers and testers to find design or functional faults as early as feasible. Consequently, corrective action can be taken on a tight budget, and it has the ability to schedule concurrent development and cost-effectively adjust the requirements or scope.

It is very possible that system architecture or design challenges may arise because not all requirements are acquired at the start of the project, which will also demand additional management attention.

4) Lean

Following the Lean technique entails utilizing manufacturing concepts to reduce waste and boost productivity for the benefit of a firm. The Lean methodology seeks to provide a product as rapidly and effectively as feasible by reducing costs and increasing production.

It works well to integrate teams and maximize collaboration by being applicable beyond team boundaries. As a result, it complements the Agile and DevOps approaches effectively and makes it possible to offer more functionality in less time.

Excellent documentation is required for this strategy, especially in terms of business requirements. If you don't, you risk having areas with inadequate documentation that are improperly developed or underdeveloped.

5) spiral

The Spiral technique creates a software system through a cycle of testing and refinement. With the help of user input, each new model of a system is adjusted using this process, which is effective for huge projects.

As the prototype is built in short steps, this method can support new modifications or functionality at later phases of development, and cost prediction becomes easier.

It is an expensive process that takes a long time to produce the intended result. It also calls for a group of highly qualified specialists who can assess assumptions and vulnerabilities.

6) DevOps

In order to enhance the amount of input, speed up revisions, and automate a project, DevOps brings together the activities of development teams and operations. Because both teams collaborate to design new systems, this could result in increased innovation in product development.

Due to simultaneous knowledge-sharing between the operations and development teams and quicker failure recovery rates, the full development process is completed in less time.

Due to the software development approach's preference for accelerating the software development process over security, there is a high chance of security concerns, such as spoofing and man-in-the-middle attacks.

7) V-Model 

Testing is a key component of the V-Model, also known as the Verification and Validation model, at each stage of development. Additionally, this approach compartmentalizes each stage, which frequently facilitates better development process control.

In addition to being a good fit for small projects with clearly spelled out requirements, the V-Model offers the capacity to prevent the downward flow of defects.

As the software is produced during the implementation phase, early prototype creation is not allowed. If changes are made during development, requirements and test papers must be revised.

These are some software development methodologies that can be utilized for every software development project, depending on the requirements.

Additionally, there are alternative approaches including the Extreme Programming technique, Joint Application development, and Dynamic System development.

For developing any form of software, selecting the appropriate SDLC methodology is crucial, and it will depend on the project's specific circumstances and business needs.

Before we get into how to select the right tech stack, let’s quickly recap what it is.

What is Tech Stack?

A technology stack is a combination of different programming languages, platforms, frameworks, tools, and others that developers use for software and product development needs.

Generally, web and mobile software products are made up of layers of front-end, back-end, and database, which form a tech stack of various codes, components, and hardware modules. Depending on the requirements and level of expertise, the tech stack may vary from project to project.

Choosing the Right Tech Stack for the Right Layer of Software

As mentioned above, a web or mobile software application contains two basic layers called the front end also known as the client side, and the back end also known as the server side. Let’s have a look at the tech stack needed for each layer.

Tech Stack for Front-end Development

Front-end is where users can engage with services or products a software application has to offer. It has a function to serve users with convenient access, intuitive navigation, and improved user experience.

Front-end or client-side development of web apps mostly consists of JavaScript or JS-based frameworks along with CSS, HTML, and others to make it highly responsive and interactive for users to engage.

HTML’s main function is to manage content creation and placement. It aids in structuring, ordering, and positioning the page contents such as text, images, videos, etc. CSS on the other hand helps arrange the structured content in the proper format. Formatting includes styling up the content with layout, background elements, fonts, colors, etc.

JavaScript or frameworks and libraries based on JS usually enhanced the interactivity and responsiveness of the software application. JS frameworks such as Angular, Vue.JS, React.JS, and others have integrated JS-based libraries such as jQuery, Bootstrap, etc. that boost the user interface functionality.

For mobile app development, front-end technologies are categorized as Native, Hybrid, and Cross-Platform. Hybrid or Cross-platform applications are developed using NativeScript, React Native, Ionic, flutter, Cordova, and other tech stacks.

Tech-Stack for Back-End Development

Back-end involves hosting, deployment, and feature creation to manage what happens on the front-end. It is where all the logic is developed for users to interact and engage on the front-end.

Beck-end ensures all the front-end functions are responding well to the user requests. Server-side or back-end development includes programming languages such as Nodejs, C#, Python, Java, PHP, C++, etc. along with frameworks, operating systems, databases, custom APIs, and other technologies.

Criteria for Selecting the Right Technology Stack for Software and Product Development

1. Project Scope

Depending on the scope of the project, the technology stack may differ from project to project. Small-scale projects have early time-to-market and are faster to build, thus do not necessarily need an advanced technology stack. An experienced and adept team like ashutec helps you craft an MVP product quickly to launch in the market and get feedback from end-users. This requires simple-to-use tools and frameworks to reach your goals faster.

Mid-sized projects involve some advanced technologies to resolve complex problems with ease. Such kinds of projects may require a combination of several programming languages and frameworks to make the software more capable.

As the size of the project increases, the complexity level increases with it. Large-scale projects demand a modern tech stack for top-notch performance, better serviceability, and higher scalability.

2. Time-To-Market

Projects with faster time-to-market generally, require a technology stack that’s easier to work with and quicker to deliver. Adopting the minimum viable product development route is a great alternative to developing a small version of the whole project for faster time-to-market requirements.

Ready-made frameworks save significant time and effort and allow easy access to a variety of different libraries. Using such technologies help minimize the time for the MVP software product to enter the market. Next, we do is choose the technology stack based on the feedback for further development.

3. Security

Security is one of the crucial aspects when considering what tech stack to utilize. Using a secure tech stack ensures the software products are developed with best practices and threat mitigation in mind. There are safer alternatives and programming languages that make it hard for hackers to penetrate.

Further to eliminate the common security threats, conduct various tests on both the client-side and server-side technologies to find any vulnerabilities. Not all technologies have the same security standards, so careful thought must be given to ensure safer development. We, at ashutec, strictly follow the standard coding guidelines for enhanced security of the software products we develop.

4. Scalability

Scalability plays a vital role in selecting the right technology stack for software and product development projects. Scalability is important when the software application is required for rapid expansion. Thus, the tech stack chosen must have the ability to scale up as and when required.

Not every technology will offer such an ability to scale sufficiently. Some will offer to scale vertically by adding new features and functionalities and some will offer horizontal scaling by adding new hardware resources such as processing units or servers. The team at ashutec carefully selects the technologies to develop products that have ease of integration and effective horizontal and vertical scalability.

5. Maintainability

It’s always a good practice to choose technologies with better maintainability and serviceability. So, while selecting the technology stack, keep in mind to choose only those that offer greater maintainability and make it effortless to upgrade your software products.

The ashutec team is very critical when it comes to software product maintainability and selects technology e.g. codebase that’s not too lengthy and concise either and incorporates scalable, portable, and reusable architectural components.

Wrapping Up

The bottom line is that choosing the right kind of technology stack depends on the project on hand and its requirements. And the above-mentioned criteria do come in handy while making the right choice for selecting the tech stack for software and product development.