What are tips for streamlining the custom software development process

October 5, 2022 1:56 AM

what is the best way to streamline the software development process depending on the specific project and organization involved?

Some possible ways to streamline the custom software development process include automating repetitive tasks, using templates or Wizards to simplify complex tasks, and reducing the number of steps required to complete a task. In addition, developers can create tools to help users better understand the software development process and can provide users with detailed instructions on how to complete a task.

posted by ocimtech to Technology (6 answers total)

Are you asking about streamlining the development process, or streamlining the experience of the end user? Your examples seem to indicate that it's the second thing, not the first.
posted by pipeski at 3:11 AM on October 5, 2022 [3 favorites]

I'm assuming "users" means users of the application development software, i.e. programmers.

Documentation and other reference material is important. I had this experience with Java and C#. I used Java first while doing some home projects. It was very proud of being object-oriented to the point that infected the documentation. So, if you wanted the documentation for the property of an object, you might not find it under the object you were working with, but had to work your way up the inheritance chain until you got to the object that where the property was implemented.

C#, also object-oriented, documents properties of built-in objects at the level encountered by the user. Much easier. OTOH, too much of C# documentation is either unhelpfully perfunctory, or has examples that include programming tricks a beginner may have trouble figuring out.
posted by SemiSalt at 5:46 AM on October 5, 2022

I need more information. Are you talking about what developers can do to create custom software faster? Believe me, if there was a wizard I could use to build a new feature, I would do it. But since it's a new feature, that's just impossible. So are you talking more about the planning/wireframing process or something like that?
posted by dawkins_7 at 6:58 AM on October 5, 2022 [1 favorite]

Agree with others that it is difficult to parse what exactly is being asked and it could range over a huge number of topics. If I mentally substitute "software development process" for "software development lifecycle", however, I wonder if terms like these might be useful for further research: "programming framework" (well-documented code starter kits); "Continuous Integration" (ways to simplify and automate code updates across environments); and "Test-driven development" (techniques that can help assure robust {even self-documenting?} and quality code which behaves in expected ways).
posted by Press Butt.on to Check at 10:51 AM on October 5, 2022 [1 favorite]

Ditto. I can't really tell that easily if you are wanting to make software better for users or if you are trying to teach other developers the tricks to doing the former. I mostly did the first with only a little of the latter just because my particular field required a ton of domain knowledge.

Are you looking for how to write software or are you looking for how to teach others to write software? (and the documentation/methods and such).
posted by zengargoyle at 11:32 PM on October 5, 2022

Short feedback loops help everywhere* to confirm the thing being made is the thing that's needed. People imagine a lot of things to be essential that aren't needed or can come later than the thing that your users and customers need, and checking in focuses the delivery to those needs.

*: polling for status when you don't have new code or new features to demonstrate gets you no new feedback, so always demo new code.
posted by k3ninho at 5:24 AM on October 6, 2022