What are the stages of development for a software development project (analysis, design, development, testing and maintenance)?

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These stages reflect the Software Development Life Cycle, a structured approach to building software. Analyzing requirements is about understanding what the system must do and the constraints it must satisfy. Designing translates those requirements into an architecture and detailed specifications that guide implementation. Development is the actual coding work that turns designs into working software. Testing checks that the software behaves as intended, meets quality standards, and catches defects before release. Maintenance covers updates, bug fixes, and enhancements after the system is deployed. This lifecycle provides a repeatable workflow that helps teams plan, control quality, and manage changes throughout a project. While some terms like “Software Systems Life Cycle” are used in some contexts, the standard label for these phases is Software Development Life Cycle.