Short for
Rational Unified Process, a
software development methodology from Rational. Based on
UML, RUP organizes the development of software into four phases, each consisting of one or more executable iterations of the software at that stage of development.
- inception -- In this stage, the project’s business case is stated and the team decides if the project is worth doing or if it is even possible. It is important to the process to first formulate the scope of the project and also determine what resources will be needed.
- elaboration -- In this stage, the developers take a closer look at the project to determine its architecture foundation and to evaluate the architecture in relation to the project. This stage is important to the RUP because it is here that developers analyze the risks associated with changing the scope of the project or adding new technologies along the way.
- construction -- In this stage, the development of the project is completed. The application design is finished and the source code is written. It is in this stage that the software is tested to determine if the project has met its goal laid out in the inception phase.
- transition -- In this stage, any fine-tuning is performed. Any final adjustments can be based on user feedback, usability or installation issues.
RUP is similar in concept to Extreme Programming in that only what is useful and required is produced and the development plan is updated throughout the process. Both methods seek to develop a system of best practices in software development.
