For weeks i search for the internet to find the difference btw Rapid Application Development model and Rapid prototyping model.

However it seems like the internet very good in copy each another with very bad and twisted defination.


Can anyone tell me what's the difference? thanks

The way I interpret it is that RAD uses set procedures and languages like Python or Ruby to create the final solution. You don't have to worry about compiling or other "time sinks". It can also mean making a web application vs. a stand alone program because the user interface doesn't require as much work since "everyone" knows how to use a web browser.

Prototyping typically uses the same high-level languages to hash out prototypes of the final program because you can have a model up and running in just a few hours. It lets you decide on how the visual layout will be and how some of the underlying, back-end code will work.

Prototyping often also incorporates Flash, Photoshop, or other tools because these can be easier to use , since the creation of the GUI is easier than the backend code. It also lets graphics designers work on the interface while the programmers work on the back-end code.

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Common Sense v2.0-Striving to make the world a little bit smarter.

um... may i know a what "front-end" and "back-end" means? ...i often see these words most of the time, but i don't know what it's about....

Back-end is typically the "support" side of a program, things like database functionality, server processing, data storage, etc. Front-end is what the user sees: a web browser or the application interface.

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Common Sense v2.0-Striving to make the world a little bit smarter.