The waterfall programming model is the most conservative and widely used model in software development. This model is done using a series of processes that are performed in a step by step manner. These steps starts with the requirements stage followed by the design stage, implementation stage, verification stage and ended with a maintenance stage. These steps are always done in this manner for each step serves as a prerequisite of the next step.

In the requirements stage, the developer determines the specifications that needed to be fulfilled in the creation of the software. Determination of the accurate requirements is important to prevent re-coding of the software. From the code requirements to testing requirements, everything must be set in the requirements stage.

In the design stage, full comprehension of the requirements gathered is the main objective. Creation of diagrams, pseudocodes and code snippets are some of the activities done in this stage. Also, initial documentation is done in this stage.

The implementation stage and verification stage are the actual production of the code. In the implementation stage, the developer writes the code while in the verification stage, the developer tests and debugs it.

Finally, in the maintenance phase, the developer provides support to the final output in case bugs are found at a time that the implementation and verification stages have ended.

Design is an important step that is done prior to actual coding. Creating a code from scratch is quite difficult that is why it is essential to think about the appropriate means of solving the problem. During the design stage, flowcharting is done along with creation of pseudocodes. The standard flowcharting method used to be understood by all programmers is the Unified Modeling Language or UML.

UML is divided into three major scopes which are structural, behavioral or interactive in nature. There are 13 standard UML diagrams that are used in designing a program. The structural diagrams include class, component, composite, deployment, object, and package diagrams. Behavioral diagrams can be any of these three such as activity, state-machine and use case diagrams. While communication, interaction, sequence, and timing diagrams are all interactive diagrams.

These 13 diagrams are not strictly required to produce an understandable software design. Usually, a combination of one from each category is enough to create a vivid image of the proposed solution. The common diagrams that are used are class diagram for structural, use case diagram for behavioral and sequence diagram for interactive.

A use case diagram represents how the program functions through an interconnection of actors and use cases bounded by the system being designed. A class diagram shows the building blocks that compose a system. A sequence diagram illustrates the step by step functionality of the program as time progresses. Using this three, how a program works and what it is made of is completely described.

A good and effective programming practice is characterized by having an optimal algorithm used to implement requirements. In addition to that, maintainable code contains comprehensive comments describing how critical lines function or how different interfaces work with each other. A comment, in computer programming jargon, is a brief description placed near a chunk of code to give an overview regarding the code the comment is pointing to.

Different programming languages make use of different commenting syntax. In C language, the forward slash symbol followed by and asterisk marks the beginning of a comment, while an asterisk followed by a forward slash marks its end similar to what is used in the title. In C++ language, two consecutive forward slashes constitute a comment is declared next. In Visual Basic language, the single apostrophe signifies that the characters following that symbol are just comments.

A good thing about a maintainable code is its property to be easily understood even by people who do not have technical programming background. Also, it is easier to read and refer back to a code that contains proper comments. Even after many years, a programmer is able to decipher his own code with the use of comments. And most of all, an easy to read code is also easy to debug code.

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