Editing Rational unified process (section)

=== Six best practices ===
Six best [[software engineering]] practices are defined for software projects to minimize faults and increase productivity. These are:<ref>Stephen Schach (2004). ''Classical and Object-Oriented Software Engineering''. 6/e, WCB McGraw Hill, New York, 2004.</ref><ref>[http://www.augustana.ab.ca/~mohrj/courses/2000.winter/csc220/papers/rup_best_practices/rup_bestpractices.html Rational Unified Process white paper] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090501034302/http://www.augustana.ab.ca/~mohrj/courses/2000.winter/csc220/papers/rup_best_practices/rup_bestpractices.html |date=2009-05-01 }}</ref>
; Develop iteratively:It is best to know all requirements in advance; however, often this is not the case. Several software development processes exist that deal with providing solutions to minimize cost in terms of development phases.
; Manage requirements: Always keep in mind the requirements set by users.
; Use components: Breaking down an advanced project is not only suggested but in fact unavoidable. This promotes ability to test individual components before they are integrated into a larger system. Also, code reuse is a big plus and can be accomplished more easily through the use of [[object-oriented programming]].
; Model visually: Use diagrams to represent all major components, users, and their interaction. "UML", short for [[Unified Modeling Language]], is one tool that can be used to make this task more feasible.
; Verify quality: Always make testing a major part of the project at any point of time. Testing becomes heavier as the project progresses but should be a constant factor in any software product creation.
; Control changes: Many projects are created by many teams, sometimes in various locations, different platforms may be used, etc. As a result, it is essential to make sure that changes made to a system are synchronized and verified constantly. (See [[Continuous integration]]).