Feature-Driven Development (FDD) is a way to build software that focuses on providing features quickly. It is an iterative and incremental method. The project life cycle for FDD is made up of five steps:
1. Make a Model of the Whole System: In this step, the project team works together to make a model of the whole system. The model shows how big the project is, what the most important parts are, and what the growth priorities are. The team finds subject matter experts, domain experts, and key partners to make sure that everyone knows what the system needs.
2. Make a list of all the features. Once the general model is set, the team makes a list of all the features. The list has a high-level description of each of the features that were found in the previous step. Each feature is given a priority based on how important it is to the business and how much work it is expected to take to achieve.
3. Plan by Feature: During this step, the team plans the work that will be done to build each feature. The features are broken up into doable pieces called “feature sets” that can be put in place in a few weeks. The team decides in what order to implement features based on their business value and how they depend on each other. For each feature set, detailed plans are made that include tasks for design, development, and testing.
4. *Design by Feature*: The design part is all about making detailed designs for each feature. The team works together to figure out the design, components, and interfaces that are needed to put the features into action. Creating class diagrams, sequence diagrams, and other design artefacts may be part of the design work. Design reviews are done to make sure that the designs are good and consistent.
5. *Build by Feature*: In this phase, the team starts building and implementing the features based on the plans and designs made in the earlier phases. Each set of features is built up over time and in small steps. The team uses coding standards, checks the code, and tests the features at the unit level to make sure they work well. Continuous integration and automated tests are usually used to make it easier to add features frequently.
These five steps are done over and over again for each feature until all of the planned features are in place. Throughout the project, the work is tracked and changes are made based on what people say and how the needs change. FDD focuses on collaboration, frequent communication, and delivering useful features in small steps to ensure the success of the project.
