Agile methods in software engineering

Article By:

Fox, Christopher Department of Computer Science, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Last reviewed:October 2020

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.014730

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• Agile methods in software engineering, published June 2015:Download PDF Get Adobe Acrobat Reader

A group of software development methods in which requirements and solutions evolve through collaboration between the developers and the customers. Agile methods have significantly changed the practice of software development since their inception around the turn of the twenty-first century. Traditional software development methods emphasize careful preparation and planning, followed by closely monitored development work culminating in the delivery of a finished product. In contrast, agile methods (see illustration) emphasize close collaboration with customers in creating small product increments in a very short time, providing opportunities to change product requirements quickly and easily (hence the term “agile”). This article surveys the rise of agile methods and characterizes them by describing Extreme Programming and Scrum, the two most influential agile methods.

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