4 answers
Shaina
Student
Bacolod, Western Visayas, Philippines
33
Questions
Asked
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How do you plan software projects?
Happy New Year. I was wondering for those software developers or other students. How do you plan your software projects like yung industry-standard? Do you have a document to follow? What stacks or system do you follow?
I want to learn how to do documentation or the proper way to plan an application. Any Checklists or Sample Documents is highly appreciated
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4 answers
Adit Sheth
Senior Software Engineer
139
Answers
Bellevue, Washington
Updated
Adit’s Answer
Here’s how you can help them plan software projects effectively:
Define the Problem and Requirements: Encourage students to start with clear project goals, identifying the problem they’re solving and listing user requirements. Use real-world scenarios to make this relatable.
Select Tools and Methodologies: Guide them to choose the right programming languages, frameworks, and agile methodologies like Scrum or Kanban for structured project management.
Break Down the Work: Teach them to break the project into smaller, manageable tasks using tools like Jira, Trello, or Notion. Emphasize the importance of prioritization.
Documentation: Share templates or examples for software documentation, such as design documents, architecture diagrams, and coding standards.
Version Control and Testing: Highlight the importance of Git for version control and automated testing tools to ensure code quality.
Focus on sharing your real-world experiences, and encourage students to collaborate and ask questions as they go!
Define the Problem and Requirements: Encourage students to start with clear project goals, identifying the problem they’re solving and listing user requirements. Use real-world scenarios to make this relatable.
Select Tools and Methodologies: Guide them to choose the right programming languages, frameworks, and agile methodologies like Scrum or Kanban for structured project management.
Break Down the Work: Teach them to break the project into smaller, manageable tasks using tools like Jira, Trello, or Notion. Emphasize the importance of prioritization.
Documentation: Share templates or examples for software documentation, such as design documents, architecture diagrams, and coding standards.
Version Control and Testing: Highlight the importance of Git for version control and automated testing tools to ensure code quality.
Focus on sharing your real-world experiences, and encourage students to collaborate and ask questions as they go!
Sanvika Kumar
8
Answers
Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Updated
Sanvika’s Answer
Define the scope of your software project. ...
Isolate tasks within the project. ...
Design time-based objectives. ...
Delegate tasks to teams or individuals. ...
Establish schedules for your team. ...
Perform appropriate risk assessments. ...
Gather and analyze project data. ...
Make adjustments to ensure success.
Isolate tasks within the project. ...
Design time-based objectives. ...
Delegate tasks to teams or individuals. ...
Establish schedules for your team. ...
Perform appropriate risk assessments. ...
Gather and analyze project data. ...
Make adjustments to ensure success.
Sahida Khatun
Software Consultant and Analyst
89
Answers
Kolkata, West Bengal, India
Updated
Sahida’s Answer
Happy New Year! 🎉
Planning a software project effectively is crucial for its success, whether you're a student, freelancer, or professional. Here's a structured approach to planning software projects, along with pointers to industry standards and useful tools.
Steps to Plan a Software Project
1. Define Project Goals
Identify the problem the software will solve.
Set clear objectives (SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound).
Define success criteria.
2. Requirements Gathering
Functional Requirements: What the software should do.
Non-Functional Requirements: Performance, scalability, security, etc.
Tools: Use interviews, surveys, or workshops with stakeholders.
3. Document Requirements
Create a Software Requirements Specification (SRS) document.
Template:
Introduction
Use Cases/User Stories
System Requirements (functional and non-functional)
Constraints and Assumptions
4. Create a Project Plan
Break down tasks using Agile/Scrum/Kanban or Waterfall methodologies.
Document:
Roadmap
Milestones
Gantt Chart (if using Waterfall)
Sprint Plan (if using Agile)
5. Design the Architecture
Choose the tech stack (frontend, backend, database, frameworks).
Create system diagrams:
UML Diagrams
ER Diagrams
System Context Diagrams
6. Prototyping
Build a wireframe or mockup.
Tools: Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, Balsamiq.
7. Plan Testing
Write test cases (unit, integration, system testing).
Decide testing methods (manual, automated).
8. Document Security and Compliance
Include data protection and industry standards (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA).
9. Deployment Plan
Define CI/CD pipelines.
Decide on hosting and deployment strategies.
Documents to Follow
Here are some industry-standard documents to guide you:
Software Requirements Specification (SRS)
Design Document (Architecture and Technical Design)
Project Plan
Test Plan
User Manuals/Guides
Tools for Planning
Project Management: Jira, Trello, Asana, ClickUp
Diagram Design: Lucidchart, Draw.io, Visio
Documentation: Confluence, Notion, Google Docs
Version Control: GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket
Prototyping: Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD
Sample Checklist
Before Development
Define project scope and goals.
Gather and document requirements.
Design system architecture.
Choose the tech stack.
During Development
Break tasks into sprints (if Agile).
Regular stand-ups to track progress.
Write unit and integration tests.
After Development
Perform user acceptance testing (UAT).
Document user guides.
Deploy and monitor.
Planning a software project effectively is crucial for its success, whether you're a student, freelancer, or professional. Here's a structured approach to planning software projects, along with pointers to industry standards and useful tools.
Steps to Plan a Software Project
1. Define Project Goals
Identify the problem the software will solve.
Set clear objectives (SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound).
Define success criteria.
2. Requirements Gathering
Functional Requirements: What the software should do.
Non-Functional Requirements: Performance, scalability, security, etc.
Tools: Use interviews, surveys, or workshops with stakeholders.
3. Document Requirements
Create a Software Requirements Specification (SRS) document.
Template:
Introduction
Use Cases/User Stories
System Requirements (functional and non-functional)
Constraints and Assumptions
4. Create a Project Plan
Break down tasks using Agile/Scrum/Kanban or Waterfall methodologies.
Document:
Roadmap
Milestones
Gantt Chart (if using Waterfall)
Sprint Plan (if using Agile)
5. Design the Architecture
Choose the tech stack (frontend, backend, database, frameworks).
Create system diagrams:
UML Diagrams
ER Diagrams
System Context Diagrams
6. Prototyping
Build a wireframe or mockup.
Tools: Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, Balsamiq.
7. Plan Testing
Write test cases (unit, integration, system testing).
Decide testing methods (manual, automated).
8. Document Security and Compliance
Include data protection and industry standards (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA).
9. Deployment Plan
Define CI/CD pipelines.
Decide on hosting and deployment strategies.
Documents to Follow
Here are some industry-standard documents to guide you:
Software Requirements Specification (SRS)
Design Document (Architecture and Technical Design)
Project Plan
Test Plan
User Manuals/Guides
Tools for Planning
Project Management: Jira, Trello, Asana, ClickUp
Diagram Design: Lucidchart, Draw.io, Visio
Documentation: Confluence, Notion, Google Docs
Version Control: GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket
Prototyping: Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD
Sample Checklist
Before Development
Define project scope and goals.
Gather and document requirements.
Design system architecture.
Choose the tech stack.
During Development
Break tasks into sprints (if Agile).
Regular stand-ups to track progress.
Write unit and integration tests.
After Development
Perform user acceptance testing (UAT).
Document user guides.
Deploy and monitor.
Teklemuz Tesfay
Web Developer
25
Answers
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Updated
Teklemuz’s Answer
Happy New Year! tips that will help you to plan a software projects in a structured and industry standard documentations are as follows: It consists of planning phase, Design phase, Development phase, Testing phase, Deployment phase and maintenance phase. let us see each step in detail.
1. Planning Phase
1.1 Project Requirements and Scope
Define functional and non-functional requirements, deliverables, and stakeholders.
Requirements Document (RD): This document captures both the functional and non-functional requirements. It answers questions like:
What is the software supposed to do? Who are the end-users? What are the performance, security, and scalability requirements?
1.2 Technology Stack Selection
Backend: Choose between Node.js, Python (Django/Flask), Java, etc.
Frontend: Select frameworks like React, Angular, Vue.js.
Database: Relational (PostgreSQL, MySQL) vs. Non-relational (MongoDB, Firebase).
DevOps: Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD tools (GitLab, Jenkins).
Cloud/Infrastructure: AWS, Azure, Google Cloud.
Technology Stack Document: Outline the chosen technologies and why they’re the best fit for your project. Include the versioning strategy, how you plan to integrate various parts of the stack, and any third-party services.
2. Design Phase
2.1 Architecture Design: Outline the system’s structure using diagrams (UML, architecture diagrams).
2.2 Database Design: Create Entity-Relationship Diagrams (ERD) for tables and relationships.
2.3 UI/UX Design: Design wireframes and user flows.
3. Development Phase
3.1 Task Breakdown: Split tasks into manageable units, assign to team members.
3.2 Version Control: Use Git for code management (with a clear branching strategy).
4. Testing Phase
4.1 Test Plan: Outline test types (unit, integration, acceptance), test cases, and strategies.
4.2 Testing Checklist: Ensure functional coverage, performance, and security.
5. Deployment Phase
5.1 Deployment Plan: Define how the software will be deployed, the environment configurations, and any tools used (e.g., CI/CD pipelines).
5.2 Deployment Guide: Contains instructions for deploying the application to production, staging, and testing environments. Should also have troubleshooting and rollback instructions.
6. Maintenance Phase
6.1 Monitoring and Support: Set up monitoring tools (e.g., Sentry, New Relic) to ensure the application runs smoothly after deployment.
Plan for ongoing updates, bug fixes, and performance optimization. Here is Sample of Documentation Structure:
1. Project Overview
- Introduction
- Objectives
- Stakeholders
2. Requirements Document
- Functional Requirements
- Non-Functional Requirements
3. Technology Stack
- Backend
- Frontend
- Database
- DevOps
4. Design Documents
- High-Level Architecture
- Database Schema
- UI/UX Design
5. Development Plan
- Task Breakdown
- Milestones
- Version Control Strategy
6. Testing Plan
- Testing Types
- Test Cases
7. Deployment Plan
- Deployment Guide
- Rollback Procedures
8. Maintenance Plan
- Monitoring
- Future Updates
1. Planning Phase
1.1 Project Requirements and Scope
Define functional and non-functional requirements, deliverables, and stakeholders.
Requirements Document (RD): This document captures both the functional and non-functional requirements. It answers questions like:
What is the software supposed to do? Who are the end-users? What are the performance, security, and scalability requirements?
1.2 Technology Stack Selection
Backend: Choose between Node.js, Python (Django/Flask), Java, etc.
Frontend: Select frameworks like React, Angular, Vue.js.
Database: Relational (PostgreSQL, MySQL) vs. Non-relational (MongoDB, Firebase).
DevOps: Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD tools (GitLab, Jenkins).
Cloud/Infrastructure: AWS, Azure, Google Cloud.
Technology Stack Document: Outline the chosen technologies and why they’re the best fit for your project. Include the versioning strategy, how you plan to integrate various parts of the stack, and any third-party services.
2. Design Phase
2.1 Architecture Design: Outline the system’s structure using diagrams (UML, architecture diagrams).
2.2 Database Design: Create Entity-Relationship Diagrams (ERD) for tables and relationships.
2.3 UI/UX Design: Design wireframes and user flows.
3. Development Phase
3.1 Task Breakdown: Split tasks into manageable units, assign to team members.
3.2 Version Control: Use Git for code management (with a clear branching strategy).
4. Testing Phase
4.1 Test Plan: Outline test types (unit, integration, acceptance), test cases, and strategies.
4.2 Testing Checklist: Ensure functional coverage, performance, and security.
5. Deployment Phase
5.1 Deployment Plan: Define how the software will be deployed, the environment configurations, and any tools used (e.g., CI/CD pipelines).
5.2 Deployment Guide: Contains instructions for deploying the application to production, staging, and testing environments. Should also have troubleshooting and rollback instructions.
6. Maintenance Phase
6.1 Monitoring and Support: Set up monitoring tools (e.g., Sentry, New Relic) to ensure the application runs smoothly after deployment.
Plan for ongoing updates, bug fixes, and performance optimization. Here is Sample of Documentation Structure:
1. Project Overview
- Introduction
- Objectives
- Stakeholders
2. Requirements Document
- Functional Requirements
- Non-Functional Requirements
3. Technology Stack
- Backend
- Frontend
- Database
- DevOps
4. Design Documents
- High-Level Architecture
- Database Schema
- UI/UX Design
5. Development Plan
- Task Breakdown
- Milestones
- Version Control Strategy
6. Testing Plan
- Testing Types
- Test Cases
7. Deployment Plan
- Deployment Guide
- Rollback Procedures
8. Maintenance Plan
- Monitoring
- Future Updates