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What is Waterfall model?

A software development model in which phases such as requirements definition, design, programming and testing are carried out in order from upstream, and in principle the next phase starts only after the previous phase's deliverables are finalized. Planning and progress are easy to control, but an error in the requirements found in a later phase causes a lot of rework.

Japanese name: ウォーターフォールモデル

Waterfall model appears in 1 practice question across 1 topic, including Software Development and Project Management.

Field: Software Development and Project Management

Try it: questions about Waterfall model

Which is a characteristic of the waterfall model of software development?

  1. APhases such as requirements definition, design, implementation and testing are carried out in order from upstream, and in principle the next phase starts only after the previous phase's deliverables are finalized
  2. BShort iterations are repeated, each producing working software and incorporating feedback from users
  3. CA prototype is built first and shown to users to confirm their requirements before full-scale development begins
Show answer and explanation

Answer: A. Phases such as requirements definition, design, implementation and testing are carried out in order from upstream, and in principle the next phase starts only after the previous phase's deliverables are finalized

The waterfall model is a development model in which phases proceed in the order requirements definition, design, programming and testing, like water flowing downhill. Because each phase's deliverables are finalized through reviews, it is easy to plan and to track progress, but an error in the requirements found in a later phase causes a lot of rework. It is used when requirements are clear and unlikely to change, or when the specification must be fixed early together with the hardware. Incorporating user feedback through iterations is a feature of iterative approaches such as agile development, and confirming requirements with a prototype is a feature of the prototyping model.

Waterfall model in the explanations

Questions that mention Waterfall model (1)

  1. Which is a characteristic of the waterfall model of software development?

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Related terms

Agile development Black-box testing Boundary value analysis Branch coverage CI/CD (continuous integration and continuous delivery) Critical path method (CPM) Earned value management (EVM) Equivalence partitioning Scrum SLA (service level agreement)

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