Freeze (software engineering)

The code freeze designated within a software project the date from which the source code of the software until the final release of the current version is no longer to change. However, changes are still allowed to correct discovered in the test of software errors of greater relevance.

In practice, the software development of the code freeze is set usually at the beginning of the system test phase, ie several weeks may, therefore, there is sufficient time for testing the final version of the software even months before the scheduled release of the software version. The goal is to minimize the number of errors in the published application.

General

In a software project during the implementation phase, that is, during the creation of the source code, regularly made ​​changes to the existing code to add new features and to correct errors that have occurred. After code freeze time may no longer be making changes to add new features; the software has been virtually frozen at its current level. Changes to correct errors discovered in the test may be generally still made ​​, as long as the benefits generated by resolving the error, in a responsible relation to the risk of new by re- modify the source code and the associated possibility of inserting error inevitably occurs in the software. As a rule, special demands are placed on each change. So it is common that a software developer can not meet even the decision to change the code after the code freeze. The decision is instead usually precipitated by a multi -member panel.

Practical Implementation

Since the source code in software projects is usually in a version control system, is from the code freeze, a "check in" ( check in), that is, an introduction of a new version of a source code file for the individual developer not or only possible after fulfilling certain conditions.