From Waterfall to Agile: How Software Engineering Evolved
Software engineering has never been static. Over the decades, it has transformed in response to technological changes , growing user expectations, and the ever-accelerating pace of innovation. Among the most significant changes is the shift from the traditional Waterfall approach to the dynamic Agile methodology. This evolution reflects how developers and businesses learned to adapt to uncertainty and embrace flexibility. Understanding the Waterfall Era The waterfall model has dominated software development for many years. It was inspired by manufacturing and construction processes, where each production stage had to be completed before moving on to the next. In the Waterfall model, software development flowed in one direction, like water cascading down steps. A project began with requirements gathering, followed by design, coding, testing, and deployment. Each phase depended heavily on the successful completion of the previous stage. This model seemed practical for teams working on pr...