What does the software development life cycle consist of?

The Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) typically includes the following stages:

1. Requirements Analysis — gathering and documenting customer requirements.
2. Design — creating the architecture and design of the system.
3. Development — writing code according to specifications.
4. Testing — verifying the functionality and quality of the product.
5. Deployment — deploying the product in the production environment.
6. Maintenance and Support — fixing bugs and updating the software.

Each stage is important to ensure quality and that the final product meets user expectations.