Software prototyping is the activity of creating prototypes of software applications, i.e., incomplete versions of the software program being developed. It is an activity that occurs in software development and typically simulates only a few aspects of the software, and may be completely different from the final product.
Prototyping has several benefits: the software designer and implementer can get valuable feedback from the users early in the project. The client and the contractor can compare if the software made matches the software specification, according to which the software program is built. It also allows the software engineer some insight into the accuracy of initial project estimates and whether the deadlines and milestones proposed can be successfully met.
The process of prototyping involves the following steps:
•Identify basic requirements
•Develop initial prototype
•Review
•Revise and enhance the prototype
Types of prototyping
Software prototyping has many variants. However, all of the methods are in some way based on two major forms of prototyping: throwaway prototyping and evolutionary prototyping.
Throwaway prototyping
In this approach the prototype is constructed with the idea that it will be discarded and the final system will be built from scratch. The steps in this approach are:
•Write preliminary requirements
•Design the prototype
•User experiences/uses the prototype, specifies new requirements
•Repeat if necessary
•Write the final requirements
•Throwaway prototyping
Evolutionary prototyping
The main goal when using evolutionary prototyping is to build a very robust prototype in a structured manner and constantly refine it. The reason for this approach is that the evolutionary prototype, when built, forms the heart of the new system, and the improvements and further requirements will then be built.
Incremental prototyping
The final product is built as separate prototypes. At the end, the separate prototypes are merged in an overall design. By the help of incremental prototyping the time gap between user and software developer is reduced.
Extreme prototyping
Extreme prototyping as a development process is used especially for developing web applications. Basically, it breaks down web development into three phases, each one based on the preceding one.
