Software prototying—progress and prospects

Abstract Software prototyping consists of providing a working version of a system early in the software life-cycle. This paper examines the reasons why this activity is an effective validation tool and the technical facilities that are currently available to carry out the process. The paper concludes with a description of some of the outstanding problems for which research still remains. The conclusion reached is that the technical feasibility of prototyping has been demonstrated but that much more research and development work is needed into the managerial aspects.

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