An analysis of the history of classical software development and agile development

Abstract

The ongoing debate over the merits of classical software engineering (SE) methodologies and agile methodologies has so far resulted in no clear benefits for the SE community. This paper uses the CHAPL framework developed in our previous research to analyse the history of classical SE methodologies and agile methodologies. Our historical analysis focuses on the following three perspectives: the practices, the principles, and the technological context. The analysis reveals that both approaches to software development have similar roots and that their proponents have ample ground for constructive discussions. In fact, both approaches can be seen as complementary and their integration could contribute to project success.