Feature Driven Development (FDD) is an Agile Methodology of software development centered on the customer that is known for regular releases and brief iterations.

Like the Scrum method, FDD demands the client, also called the owner of the project, to be present during the first design conference and iteration retrospectives.

FDD is an Agile Methodology or a lightweight method for producing software.

FDD Agile Methodology combines a quantity of best practices identified by the CMS website development industry into a cohesive entity.

These methods are motivated by a perspective of functionality or features that is client-valued. Its foremost objective is to produce material, functional software frequently in a convenient way according to the Agile Manifesto principles.

12 Things You Must Know About FDD Agile Methodology:

1. History of FDD Agile Methodology

FDD was originally created by Jeff De Luca in 1997 to satisfy the particular requirements of a 50-person, 15-month project of software development at a bank in Singapore bank. This ended in a collection of five methods that comprised the growth of an overall method and the listing, preparation, planning, and construction of features.

The initial method is profoundly affected by the object modeling approach by Peter Coad. The second method combines Coad’s opinions of employing a feature list to accomplish practical elements and construction assignments.

The other methods are a consequence of Jeff De Luca’s expertise. There have been many implementations of FDD after its triumphant performance on the Singapore project.

The classification of FDD was first presented to the world in 1999 in the sixth chapter 6 of the book Java Modeling in Color with UML by Jeff De Luca, Peter Coad, and Eric Lefebvre. Next, in A Practical Guide to Feature-Driven Development by Mac Felsing and Stephen Palmer in 2002, a more comprehensive explanation of FDD was provided dissociated from Java modeling.

2. FDD is a Process of 5 Steps

The feature-driven development methodology is a short-iteration, model-driven process that is made up of five primary activities. For specific event recording and keeping a record of the software development plan, breakthroughs that indicate the development made on every feature are marked. This segment furnishes a high-level summary of the activities.

☛ Develop FDD Overall Model

The FDD outline begins with an intense walkthrough of the range of the system and its setting. Subsequently, complete specialty models are designed for each modeling section by modest groups and conferred for peer evaluation. One or more than one of the recommended models are chosen to become the basis for each specialty area. Specialty area models are increasingly absorbed into an overall model.

☛ Create a Feature List

Information collected throughout the primary modeling is applied to recognize a listing of features by functionally disintegrating the area into subject divisions. Subject divisions each include business projects, and the actions in each business project set the foundation for a classified feature listing. Features in this regard are short sections of client-valued purposes displayed in the form, for example, “<action> <result> <object>”. Features should not use more than two weeks to finish, else they must be split down into scantier portions.

☛ Plan By Feature

Following the completion of the feature list, the step to creating the plan of development and naming the control of features (or feature collections) as classes to the programmers are executed.

☛ Design by Feature

A design unit is provided for every feature. A leading programmer chooses a meager group of features that are to be finished in two weeks. Concurrently with similar class owners, the leading programmer serves out specific order designs for every feature and improves the total model. Next, the method and class prologues are inscribed and ultimately, a design review is accommodated.

☛ Build by Feature

Following a successful design review for every activity to create a feature is prepared; the class owners generate code for their classes. Later, the unit trial and triumphant code review are performed; the finished feature is pushed to the central build.

3. FDD is a Pragmatic Short-Iteration Process

Feature Driven Development methodology is a short-emphasis, model-driven method. Before the beginning of the process, the overall model frame is raised. The evolution of features is then on record with a series of fourteen days “design by feature, work by feature” series.

These features are “helpful according to the client” decisions. Developers concentrate on the features that are important to the client.

4. FDD is Agile

Feature-driven development is a coordinated methodology. Corporations now would favor not expecting the outcomes of a completed project to get to them after years.

The nature of this methodology depends upon a stress period of two weeks. The features are formed within 1 to 10 workdays.

A feature that demands a more extended timeframe than this is furthermore departed until it reaches the two weeks decree.

5. FDD Utilizes the Best of Methodologies

FDD combines the most beneficial of several clever techniques like Scrum and Extreme Programming.

It employs model-driven systems including Eric Evan’s Domain-Driven Design and Peter Coad’s modeling in color. Domain-Driven Design concentrates on internal domain and field rationale. Intricate designs rely on the model of the domain.

One requires to perpetually fix problems related to the field. There are UML color policies–four colors compared to the charts of Unified Modeling Language (UML). The color bestows the samples related to the UML objective.

UML publishing part makes feature progress between FDD. The use of color enables a quick grasp of the issue area’s components. Four best class examples—each with the run-of-the-mill features and actions

☛ Are FDD and Scrum the Same?

In this regard, you might ask, is FDD any different from Scrum then? FDD is similar to Scrum, but as its title suggests, it is a method focused on features (as argued against a method focused on delivery). Features are a basic portion of FDD, while in Scrum, user stories are important.

The difference between scrum and FDD is simplified when you look at how much time both take: Scrum lasts for two to four weeks while FDD should be accomplished every 2 to 10 days.

FDD considers documentation more than other techniques (Extreme Programming and Scrum included), which also produces variations in the purposes of meetings.

In Scrum, typically, teams attend meetings daily; in FDD, teams depend on documentation to deliver relevant data and thus, do not normally meet as regularly.

Another important distinction is the end-user: in FDD, the real user is observed as the end-user, while in Scrum it is usually the Product Owner who is regarded as the end-user.

6. Ownership of Class is Crucial in FDD

Every class of building the feature has a room with a specific developer. Class owners are in command of all successions that are created between the practice of the components. Developer’s class ownership remarkably magnifies the quality of the code. Class owners are, therefore, specialists in development applications.

Extreme Programming has the approach of aggregate assets, where a developer can restore a code, including source code when they need it. FDD alternatively has precise developers responsible for the classes so if a feature demands modifications, the owners of every one of those classes match up, perform modifications autonomously to their assigned class and then combine the code concurrently.

7. FDD has Feature Teams

In an FDD feature team, everybody has a distinct designated job. FDD blooms with diverse viewpoints. It ensures that various characters are employed when using each design decision.

A feature team generally has a project director, general architect, development manager, specialty expert, class owner, and main programmer.

For every feature, a specifically designated feature team can be selected with the members of the team who have the most suitable skills that fit. It really might be a hybrid of functional and cross-segment organization. The focus of the feature team is on building and realizing each one of the features listed in the project one at a time.

8. FDD Allows Solid Results

In feature-based development, the features are managed and produced one at a time as progressive parts.

Developers can view the events and performance in a short span; in actuality, at frequent interludes. It aids in quality checks and allows the developers to display indications of growth and obtain a hold on the entire process.

9. FDD can be Adapted to Larger Projects

The flexibility of FDD Agile to massive projects is a favored reason for liking FDD. It can change efficiently as it has adequate methods that can work on at the corresponding time and sufficient restrictions that support quality development.

There are compact design and regulation cycles giving diverse feedback loops to the method. Clients can view the outcomes at frequent interludes.

The modeling stage in FDD is Just Enough Design Initially or JEDI. It enables the methods to shift forward to the following stage quickly.

It employs design driven by domain plans. The entire process performs to be reasonably careful so when late members arrive, they can follow the team without much adaptation difficulties.

10. FDD has an Inclusive Methodology

FDD Agile Methodology is a fundamental, however, extended methodology. It is manageable for organizations to acquire and employ.

All the stakeholders become included from the most primitive origin point of the plan immediately from the moment the feature file is created. Solely throughout the lifecycle of product development, there are allocating elements that keep everyone within the product information group.

11. The Best Practices of FDD

To reach the greatest level of accomplishment, FDD is developed around total software engineering’s most excellent practices.

You can, thus, apply this anywhere – from the web to Mobile App Design.

This involves:

  • Recognizing the domain target model, or the extent of the puzzle that requires to be answered, to assist with the structure for feature construction.
  • Tearing down complicated features into more modest purposes and subsets.
  • Allotting features to an individual owner to guarantee compatibility and code probity.
  • Creating compelling and distinct feature teams to accumulate various design decisions.
  • Conducting conventional code investigations of every feature prior to implementation into the central build.
  • Implementing project clarity with regular, detailed development reports throughout each step.

12. The Supporting Roles in FDD

As mentioned previously, the teams are comprised of many people with matching skills.

However, there is a supportive cast in each team that helps the others as well with feature-driven development, which includes:

  • Domain Manager
  • Technical Writer
  • Release Manager
  • Deployer
  • Language Expert
  • Tester
  • Build Engineer
  • System Administrator
  • Toolsmith

Conclusion

Feature-Driven Development is a pragmatic agile method accommodated for long-term, complicated projects.

It is a fitting option for development teams attempting a manageable but robust agile approach that is flexible and gives expected outcomes.

If you are looking to create any software, your Mobile App Development Company can learn to work better through feature-driven development methodology.