how to start a software project from scratch. What are the steps involved?

Question

Some relatives want me to build a website for their business and i have agreed to go for it providing lot of functionality and not just static HTML pages. But where should i start? They don't know the exact requirements and i don't either. HOw should i start gathering requirements. I am blanked out?

Answer 1

Getting the requirements right is 60% of the job.
Making the site is only 40% of the job (provided you can code like a banshee, that is.)
* What do they want the site to 'do'
* tell people about the business, obviously.
* browse a catalogue?
* search for products?
* place orders?
* pay by credit card?
* advertise promotions or such?
* what else?
* How do they want the site to work?
Keep it fairly conceptual. Make a site map, and
sketch the way you'll guide visitors though the
site. Like, what do you do when a customer
wants to change an order?
* How do they want the site to look?
What fonts to use, how do the menus look, etc.
At this point you have everything you need to
make a mock up of all the pages in Paint (or
a similar program). Visualizing the final product
really helps to work out additional requirements
and to correct flaws in the flow.
* How will you/ they keep the site and the
catalogue up-to-date?
* Start thinking about the technical requirements
* You might want to use cascading style sheets.
* If you want customers to place orders, you'll
need to make a database, too - or perhaps
even integrate the business' existing database.
You'll have to learn SQL.
* If you want your site to communicate with a
database, you'll also need to include ASP.NET,
ColdFusion, or some other language in your
HTML. You'll have to learn that.
* You'll need an idea of the security concerns
and how to adress them.
With all of this information, you'll have some idea of how long it will take you to actually make the site. You'll also have all the information you need to figure out how much the site will cost to make and operate (If you use a lot of fancy stuff, the price goes up for hosting the site. It also costs a fee to accept credit card payments. Then, you might need to buy software or reference books. You might need to hire a guy for a day or two to help out with stuff. Things like that.)
Based on this, you might decide you're not up to the task, or that it would simply take you to long. Or your relatives might decide that the cost isn't worth it, and they'd rather stick with a simple site.
Please note that even a really experienced guy would need at least two or three weeks for something moderately sophisticated. Then add a week for testing and minor adjustments. But if you have to teach yourself as you go, you could easily spend two weeks just on the graphics.

Answer 2

you should start with requirements before seriously persuing any development project, but until you decide on them, start familiarizing yourself with web programming languages such as ASP, PHP or ASP.NET if you aren't already, as well as web sites of your relatives' competitors.
Decide on features, what is on the must have list vs the "wish" list. Prioritize the features, group them into "releases", and come up with a time frame for each release, then get to coding. Remember to get feedback along the way.

Answer 3

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Answer 4

go to http://msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/express/vwd/default.aspx

download visual web dev. for free and use vb.net if your starting out and they have lessons if u down load the msdn as well

http://www.w3schools.com/ for your lessons on every latest web tech u can think of showing u examples!!


i would recommend vb.net and asp.net serverside languages which run on the server so they can't steal your code......and javascript can be stolen even thou it's unusally powerful enough but i think vb.net and asp.net is easier than php or jsp plus you can use your vb.net skills to build windows apps or games if you ever want! so if you learn vb.net it's a skill you can use for other projects if you are ever interested in programming.