← IGCSE Computer Science Paper 2

The program development life cycle

The four ordered stages that take a program from problem to working code: analysis, design, coding and testing. Planning before coding saves time.

Part of: IGCSE Computer Science 0478 — 7a Program Development Life Cycle — Module 1, WA Computer Science ATAR Year 11 — Pseudocode and Algorithm Design — Module 1

Understanding The program development life cycle in IGCSE Computer Science Paper 2

What it does: The design stage comes before the coding stage. Planning first saves time and helps avoid mistakes in the finished code. Analysis is where the problem is identified and the requirements are found, before any plan or code is made. Flowcharts, pseudocode and hierarchy charts are design tools that plan the solution before it is coded. This course uses four stages: analysis, design, coding and testing. Testing uses test data to find errors and check that the program meets the requirements.

Common mistakes: Debugging is not one of the four stages. The second stage is Design, so the line should be stage2 ← 'Design'. Writing the program is the task of the Coding stage. In the Design stage you plan the solution, for example by drawing a flowchart.

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Learning

Duo

Which list shows the four stages of the program development life cycle in the correct order?

Analysis, design, coding, testingDesign, analysis, testing, coding

Matches

Coding → Analysis → Testing → Design

↓

The stages are in the wrong order. They must run analysis, design, coding, then testing.

Applying

Meanings

Term

program development life cycle

Meaning

The four ordered stages that take a program from problem to working code: analysis, design, coding and testing. Planning before coding saves time.

Practice

// Program development life cycle

Testing

Gaps

// Stage 1:

Check Answer

Spots

1stage1 ← 'Analysis'

2stage2 ← 'Debugging'

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Quick Questions

1. Which list shows the four stages of the program development life cycle in the correct order?

A. Analysis, design, coding, testing ✓

B. Design, analysis, testing, coding

The order is analysis, design, coding, testing. You must understand the problem before you plan, plan before you code, and code before you test.

2. A programmer starts typing code before working out what the program must do. Is this good practice in the life cycle?

A. No, the program should be planned in analysis and design first ✓

B. Yes, coding first saves time

Planning before coding saves time because mistakes are cheaper to fix in a plan than in finished code.

3. Which stage is mainly about working out exactly what the problem is and what the program must do?

A. Coding

B. Analysis ✓

Analysis is where the problem is identified and the requirements are found, before any plan or code is made.

4. A student draws a flowchart and writes pseudocode for their program. Which stage is this?

A. Testing

B. Design ✓

Flowcharts, pseudocode and hierarchy charts are design tools that plan the solution before it is coded.

5. Which stage comes immediately after design?

A. Coding ✓

B. Analysis

Once the solution is designed, it is written as program code. Analysis comes before design, not after it.

Match the Pairs

Analysis → Design → Coding → Testing → The four stages of the program development life cycle in the correct order

Analysis → The first stage, where the problem is investigated and the requirements are worked out

Planning is done before coding, so the program is designed first (for example in pseudocode) and then written → Design → Coding

Each stage has its own tasks: the design stage uses tools such as flowcharts and pseudocode → Design: flowchart, pseudocode, hierarchy chart

Coding → Analysis → Testing → Design → The stages are in the wrong order. They must run analysis, design, coding, then testing.

Analysis → Design → Coding → Testing → Debugging → Release → The life cycle in this course has only four stages. Debugging and Release are not extra stages.

Key Term

program development life cycle

The four ordered stages that take a program from problem to working code: analysis, design, coding and testing. Planning before coding saves time.

Fill in the Blanks

1. // Stage 1: analysis // Stage 2: design // Stage 3: coding

Hint: Type the name of the first stage, where the problem is studied and the requirements are found.

2. analysis -> design -> coding -> testing

Hint: Type the stage that comes second, where the solution is planned using flowcharts or pseudocode before any code is written.

3. // Stage 3: coding - write the program

Hint: Type the stage in which the planned solution is turned into a program.

4. // Stage 4: testing - check it works

Hint: Type the final stage, where the program is run with test data to find errors.

5. CONSTANT Stages ← 4

Hint: Type the number of stages in the program development life cycle.

Spot the Error

Question 1

A stage1 ← 'Analysis'

B stage2 ← 'Debugging'

C stage3 ← 'Coding'

D stage4 ← 'Testing'

Line B — Debugging is not one of the four stages. The second stage is Design, so the line should be stage2 ← 'Design'.

Question 2

A Analysis: find requirements

B Design: write the program

C Coding: write the program

D Testing: check with test data

Line B — Writing the program is the task of the Coding stage. In the Design stage you plan the solution, for example by drawing a flowchart.

Question 3

A OUTPUT 'Analysis'

B OUTPUT 'Design'

C OUTPUT 'Testing'

D OUTPUT 'Testing'

Line C — Coding is the third stage and Testing is the fourth. You cannot test a program before it has been written, so this line should be OUTPUT 'Coding'.

Question 4

A CONSTANT Stages ← 5

B DECLARE Current : INTEGER

C Current ← 1

Line A — The program development life cycle has four stages in this course: analysis, design, coding and testing. The constant should be 4.

Question 5

A First stage: Coding

B Second stage: Design

C Third stage: Coding

D Fourth stage: Testing

Line A — Analysis is always the first stage. You must understand the problem before you can design or code a solution, so the line should be First stage: Analysis.

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