Process activities

Process activities
Real software processes are interleaved sequences of technical, collaborative, and
managerial activities with the overall goal of specifying, designing, implementing,
and testing a software system. Software developers use a variety of different software
tools in their work. Tools are particularly useful for supporting the editing of different
types of document and for managing the immense volume of detailed information
that is generated in a large software project.
The four basic process activities of specification, development, validation, and evo-
lution are organized differently in different development processes. In the waterfall
model, they are organized in sequence, whereas in incremental development they are
interleaved. How these activities are carried out depends on the type of software,
people, and organizational structures involved. In extreme programming, for example,
specifications are written on cards. Tests are executable and developed before the
program itself. Evolution may involve substantial system restructuring or refactoring