The diagram shows the main stages of the software development life cycle that we are using in Virto Commerce.
During the year we create several releases (major or minor). Between releases, we also create builds.
Release or build not only compiled binaries. It is a set of artifacts and quality checks. Each stage of the life cycle contains all the artifacts of the previous stage and additional quality checks and artifacts for the current stage.
Stages of Software Development
Release - a stable version that has gone through all the previous stages, in which the main errors have been fixed, we are ready to present it for the community.
Release Candidate (RC) - ready to become a stable version. Most of the checks and comprehensive testing were carried out, due to which all critical errors found were corrected. We are ready to present this version to VC professional service team and our partners.
Sprint Build - may be used by other developers in the VC team to test compatibility. Sprint build may contain some errors. Sprint build is not the final version, and using it is carried out at the user’s own risk.
PR Build - ready to use for other members of the feature development team. Only base quality checks passed. Stable work is not guaranteed. PR build can only be used to familiarize yourself with new features.
Some stages may be skipped. For example, we can skip the RC stage and create a release. However, all checks for the RC stage will be carried out, and the final release will contain all RC artifacts.