The world of software development has evolved rapidly. What worked a decade ago is often too slow, too rigid, or too risky for today’s fast-paced tech environment. Modern software development practices focus on speed, collaboration, quality, and adaptability—all while keeping the user experience at the center.
This chapter explores the core principles and tools that define software development today.
1. Agile Development
“Responding to change over following a plan.” — Agile Manifesto
Agile is the dominant methodology in modern software development. It breaks work into smaller iterations (sprints), encourages continuous feedback, and emphasizes collaboration across roles.
Key elements:
- Short development cycles (1–2 weeks)
- Daily stand-up meetings
- Continuous delivery of features
- Emphasis on working software over documentation
Popular frameworks: Scrum, Kanban, SAFe
2. Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CI/CD)
CI/CD automates the process of integrating code, testing it, and deploying it.
- Continuous Integration (CI): Developers merge code frequently into a shared branch, triggering automated tests.
- Continuous Delivery (CD): Approved builds are automatically prepared for production.
- Continuous Deployment: Code changes are automatically deployed to production (with proper tests and controls).