Rapid Application Development

(RAD) A loose term for any software life-cycle designed to give faster development and better results and to take maximum advantage of recent advances in development software.

RAD is associated with a wide range of approaches to software development: from hacking away in a GUI builder with little in the way of analysis and design to complete methodologies expanding on an information engineering framework.

Some of the current RAD techniques are: CASE tools, iterative life-cycles, prototyping, workshops, SWAT teams, timebox development, and Re-use of applications, templates and code.