Rapid Application Development (RAD) is a software development methodology that focuses on quickly delivering a working product. It emphasizes rapid prototyping and iterative development, which allows for quick changes to be made to the product as needed. The goal of RAD is to reduce the time it takes to develop a product while still maintaining quality.
The main benefit of RAD is its ability to quickly deliver a working product. This can be especially useful in situations where time is of the essence, such as when developing an application for a new market or when responding to customer feedback. Additionally, RAD encourages collaboration between developers and stakeholders, which can lead to better communication and more efficient development.
One potential drawback of RAD is that it can lead to a lack of documentation. Since the focus is on quickly delivering a working product, there may not be enough time for proper documentation. Additionally, since RAD relies heavily on prototyping and iteration, there may be more bugs than with other development methodologies.