Wikipedia says that Agile is a type of "RAD" which I guess is incorrect. From what I know, Agile was developed becasue RAD itself was not that sucessfull in 90'S (too rigid for changes).
Or am I wrong?
(Remark: apparently the Wikipedia article on Agile software development was improved in between, it just lists RAD as a predecessor of Agile, not as a superset).
A reference from a book Radical Project Management (Thomsett)
"..new development fad such as RAD, Agile, Object oriented…"
CISA Certified Information System auditor:
..aware of two alternative software dev. methods: Agile and Rapid
Application Development
Agile management for Software:
Agile methods are mostly derived from lightweight approach of RAD.
Software estimation best practices:
The major methods of sw. dev. can be summarized as follows:
1. Waterfall ..
4. RAD
5. Agile
The point of this question is:
Is Agile type of RAD or standalone development approach?
Best Answer
RAD as a term predates Agile as a term by about ten years, but it isn't really a "parent" of Agile. Both were created as reactions to perceived shortcomings with traditional software development management techniques. However, RAD is a prescriptive method for writing software, using successive prototypes to elicit requirements and refine the application. Agile, in the originally introduced form, is a philosophical position describing the difference between traditional approaches and the values focused on by agile practitioners.
So no, agile software development is not a type of RAD; they address problems at different levels of abstraction.