A comparative Study of Software Development Methodologies

Abstract

The objective of this thesis is to study two types of software development methodologies, more specifically – traditional software development methodologies and agile software development methodologies – to compare them together. Another goal is to propose a framework for selecting suitable agile methodology for a given project. Some of traditional and agile methodologies were presented. Also the characteristics and limitations of each methodology were introduced. It was found some similarities and differences between traditional and agile methodologies. Also the similarities and differences were found between some of the agile methodologies. Also it was found that an agile methodologies can provide good benefits for small-scaled and medium-scaled projects but for large-scaled projects traditional methods seem dominant. Also a framework for selecting most suitable agile software development methodology for a given project were proposed. The achievement of this thesis is that software development methodologies can be compared with each other's. There are some similarities and differences between software development methodologies. Other areas that need to be explored are the empirical studies for evaluating the effectiveness and the possibilities of using traditional and agile software development methods in Sudan. Also Comparing the performance of the software development methods (for example; productivity and quality aspects). The studies of the combinations of different method and process content is also other area of study.