devxlogo

Architected Rapid Application Development

Definition of Architected Rapid Application Development

Architected Rapid Application Development (ARAD) is an approach to software development that combines the principles of Rapid Application Development (RAD) with software architecture best practices. ARAD aims to accelerate the development process while maintaining a well-structured and scalable design. It leverages reusable components, visual modeling tools, and iterative development to quickly build and refine prototypes that evolve into full-fledged applications.

Phonetic

The phonetic pronunciation of “Architected Rapid Application Development” is:ahr-kih-tehk-tuhd ˈræp.ɪd ˌæp.lɪˈkeɪʃən dɪˈvel.É™p.mÉ™nt

Key Takeaways

  1. Architected Rapid Application Development (ARAD) focuses on reusing existing components and templates to accelerate software development, reducing time-to-market.
  2. ARAD uses model-driven architecture and object-oriented design principles, enabling improved communication between developers, project managers, and end-users.
  3. ARAD methodologies emphasize flexibility and adaptability, allowing for changes to requirements and functionalities throughout the development cycle, making it suitable for a wide range of projects and industries.

Importance of Architected Rapid Application Development

Architected Rapid Application Development (ARAD) is an important technology term as it represents a software development methodology that enables fast, efficient, and high-quality application development.

This approach emphasizes reusability, consistent architectures, and leveraging existing components, which results in a more streamlined development process, reduced costs, and accelerated delivery times.

By focusing on predefined and modular designs, ARAD promotes collaboration, better decision-making, and adaptability, serving as a vital tool for businesses and developers in an ever-evolving technological landscape where the ability to quickly develop and deploy applications is critical for success and competitiveness.

Explanation

Architected Rapid Application Development (ARAD) serves as a software development methodology that emphasizes the efficient and swift creation of applications and systems. The primary purpose of ARAD is to cater to the evolving needs of businesses, allowing them to adapt to market demands without sacrificing software quality or performance.

This approach enables developers to rapidly assemble and configure application components, while ensuring the architecture adheres to industry best practices. By utilizing reusable components, graphical development environments, and pre-built application templates, ARAD promotes a more efficient development process and a significantly reduced development timeline.

One of the main advantages of ARAD is that it permits businesses to deliver critical applications more rapidly without compromising reliability or quality. This is made possible through strong integration capabilities, allowing new applications to seamlessly connect with existing systems, thus reducing the time and effort needed to develop applications from scratch.

Furthermore, ARAD enables continuous innovation through consistent feedback loops during the development process, ensuring that users actively participate in the design and testing of applications. Consequently, ARAD helps organizations stay ahead in the rapidly changing technological landscape, by providing improved agility, scalability, and maintainability for their software solutions.

Examples of Architected Rapid Application Development

Architected Rapid Application Development (ARAD) is a technology that emphasizes the use of reusable components, tools, frameworks, and existing code to rapidly build and deliver software applications. Here are three real-world examples of how ARAD technology has been implemented:

Salesforce:Salesforce is a cloud-based Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform that allows businesses to streamline their sales, customer service, and marketing processes. The platform is built using ARAD technology, which allows enterprises to create custom applications and integrations easily and rapidly. Salesforce offers a wide range of pre-built and customizable components, called Lightning Components, which developers can use to create applications with minimal or no coding needed, speeding up development time and driving innovation.

Microsoft Power Apps:Microsoft Power Apps is a low-code development platform that enables users to quickly build custom business applications using a visual, drag-and-drop interface. Power Apps leverages ARAD principles by providing a variety of pre-built templates, connectors, and components that developers can use to create applications with limited coding. This allows organizations to improve efficiency and productivity by rapidly developing, testing, and deploying applications across multiple platforms, such as web, mobile, and desktop.

Mendix:Mendix is a low-code application development platform that helps enterprises build web and mobile applications quickly and efficiently. With an emphasis on ARAD principles, Mendix incorporates pre-built components, visual modeling tools, and reusable code to accelerate application development. This enables organizations to iteratively design and develop applications, continuously incorporating feedback and rapidly adapting to changing business requirements or processes.

Architected Rapid Application Development FAQ

What is Architected Rapid Application Development?

Architected Rapid Application Development (ARAD) is a software development approach that combines the features and benefits of the traditional Rapid Application Development (RAD) methodology with well-defined software architecture practices. It aims to deliver high-quality software solutions quickly and efficiently, while maintaining flexibility and adaptability in response to changing requirements and technologies.

What are the key components of ARAD?

The key components of ARAD are:
1. Rapid development tools and techniques: These include visual programming tools, reusable code components, and integrated development environments that help speed up the development process.
2. Architectural frameworks: These provide a blueprint for designing and building software solutions with flexible and modular structures.
3. Comprehensive development process: ARAD emphasizes a structured and iterative development approach, integrating quality assurance and testing into the process from the start.
4. Effective team collaboration: ARAD enables an environment that encourages and supports clear communication, goal alignment, and team cooperation.

What are the benefits of using ARAD over traditional development methodologies?

Using ARAD offers several benefits, including:
1. Faster time-to-market: By leveraging rapid development tools and reusable components, ARAD accelerates the development process, enabling faster delivery of business solutions.
2. Improved flexibility: The modular architecture promoted by ARAD enables a more adaptable and scalable software solution, making it easier to respond to changing requirements and technologies during and after development.
3. Reduced risk: The iterative development approach and early testing integration in ARAD reduce the chances of project failure and mitigate potential risks.
4. Enhanced quality: By focusing on software architecture principles and quality assurance, ARAD promotes more robust and maintainable software solutions.

How does ARAD fit into Agile methodologies?

ARAD can be considered as a complement to Agile methodologies. It shares similarities with Agile, such as promoting iterative development, collaboration, and adaptability. However, while Agile focuses on flexibility and responsiveness to change, ARAD places more emphasis on the role of software architecture in providing a well-defined framework for scalable, maintainable, and reusable solutions. Both methodologies can be combined to create a synergistic and comprehensive approach to software development.

What industries can benefit from using ARAD?

ARAD can be beneficial to any industry that requires software development, particularly those with quickly changing requirements or with a need for rapid time-to-market. Potential industries include, but are not limited to, finance, telecommunications, healthcare, retail, and e-commerce, as well as various technology-driven sectors.

Related Technology Terms

  • Agile Software Development
  • Model-driven Engineering (MDE)
  • Low-code Development Platforms (LCDP)
  • Software Prototyping
  • Iterative Development Process

Sources for More Information

devxblackblue

About The Authors

The DevX Technology Glossary is reviewed by technology experts and writers from our community. Terms and definitions continue to go under updates to stay relevant and up-to-date. These experts help us maintain the almost 10,000+ technology terms on DevX. Our reviewers have a strong technical background in software development, engineering, and startup businesses. They are experts with real-world experience working in the tech industry and academia.

See our full expert review panel.

These experts include:

devxblackblue

About Our Editorial Process

At DevX, we’re dedicated to tech entrepreneurship. Our team closely follows industry shifts, new products, AI breakthroughs, technology trends, and funding announcements. Articles undergo thorough editing to ensure accuracy and clarity, reflecting DevX’s style and supporting entrepreneurs in the tech sphere.

See our full editorial policy.

More Technology Terms

Technology Glossary

Table of Contents