Which term refers to a program design methodology that enables the system to be developed in convenient stages?

• A. Postcondition
• B. Precondition
• C. Input Protection
• D. Incremental Development

Answer: (D)

Incremental development is a program design approach where the system is built in small, usable pieces, each adding additional functionality. This lets you develop and test parts of the system in stages rather than all at once, making it easier to manage complexity and incorporate feedback as you go. By delivering a working subset early, you can verify interfaces, refine requirements, and plan subsequent steps more effectively, reducing risk and improving adaptability as the project evolves.

Preconditions and postconditions relate to the conditions that must be true before and after a function or operation runs, not to how the overall system is constructed in stages. Input protection is about validating and safeguarding against bad data, which is important for robustness but not a design methodology for staged development.