Feature Driven Development (FDD)

Feature Driven Development (FDD) is an iterative and incremental software development methodology that belongs to the Agile family. It was first introduced by Jeff De Luca in 1997 and emphasizes client-valued features as the primary drivers of the development process. FDD follows a five-step process: 1. Develop an Overall Model: The team creates a high-level domain model that provides a framework for understanding the system's features and their relationships. 2. Build a Features List: The team identifies and catalogs a comprehensive list of features, expressed in client-valued terms following the format: "<action> <result> <object>", such as "calculate total invoice amount." 3. Plan by Feature: Features are prioritized and assigned to development packages. The team creates a development plan that sequences these packages based on dependencies, complexity, and business value. 4. Design by Feature: For each feature, detailed design work occurs. Feature teams are formed and chief programmers take ownership of specific feature sets. 5. Build by Feature: Individual features move into construction. Code for each feature is developed, tested, and integrated into the main build. Key characteristics of FDD include: - Two-week iterations ("timeboxes") for delivering working features - Class ownership where developers take responsibility for specific components - Feature teams that form dynamically based on required expertise - Regular builds to ensure continuous integration - Progress tracking using feature completion percentages - Robust documentation including domain and design models FDD suits projects with stable requirements and defined architectures while providing the benefits of Agile practices like iterative development and regular client feedback. It emphasizes quality through design upfront and code reviews, making it particularly effective for larger teams and complex systems.

Feature Driven Development (FDD) is an iterative and incremental software development methodology that belongs to the Agile family. It was first introduced by Jeff De Luca in 1997 and emphasizes clie…

Concepts covered: Feature Teams, Individual Class Ownership, FDD Reporting and Metrics, Feature Decomposition, Developing by Feature, Inspections, Chief Programmer, FDD Process Model, Domain Object Modeling, FDD Progress Tracking