Exercise 2

Describe the steps involved with the Rapid Evolutionary Prototyping Approach as it applies to developing a Web application.

There are four main steps involved with the prototyping process

1. Identify the basic user’s requirements including inputs from the users and outputs from the applications.

2. Develop the initial prototype which only include the user interfaces

3. Review and examine the prototype by stakeholders (customers, end-users), then collect feedback on additional requirements or changes.

4. Enhance (features) and revised the prototype (plan) according to the feedback and changes.

Step 3 and 4 will iterate until the final prototype meets the contract requirements.

For Rapid Evolutionary Prototyping Approach (REPA) in developing a Web application, it will mainly follow the 4 steps above but with some enhancements. This approach depends on reuse of software components, use of software templates and on an architectural template. Moreover, the development process focus on multiple small teams working engineering discipline (parallel) and frequently customer interaction in a timebox manner according to a particular function of a software project(Wikipedia,2010).

How is it related to agile development?

Agile development is a term for iterative and incremental software development methodology. (Versionone, 2010). REPA is exactly using the iterative and incremental method to speed up the developing process of the application. This approach involves continuous planning, testing, integration and other forms of evolution of the project and the software. In addition, the REPA is lightweight and focus on force stakeholders to collaborate and have decisions quickly and effectively.