Operational prototyping: a new development approach

The two traditional types of software prototyping methods, throwaway prototyping and evolutionary prototyping, are compared, and prototyping´s relation to conventional software development is discussed. Operational prototyping, a method that combines throwaway and evolutionary prototyping techniques by layering a rapid prototype over a solid evolutionary base, is described. Operational prototyping´s implications for configuration management, quality assurance, and general project management are reviewed. The application of operational prototyping to a prototype ocean surveillance terminal is presented.<>