Effectiveness of prototypes
Empirical studies
- Boehm et al (Proc. ICSE, 1986)
- Alavi et al (CACM, 1986)
- Most evidence is anecdotal
Experiment: incremental development (P) vs. specification-based design (S)
- Student team projects to build estimation package
- No difference in performance
- P led to 40% smaller code
- P required 55% effort of S
- P led to less functionality, poorer reliability and poorer maintainability
- P was easier to use and learn