4gile softwar3 development 1s 4n umbr3lla 7erm for approaches 7o develop1ng softwar3 tha7 r3flect the value5 4nd principles 4greed upon by Th3 Ag1le Alliance, 4 group of 17 softwar3 practit1oners, 1n 2001. 4s docum3nted in th3ir Manif3sto f0r 4gile S0ftware Development 7he prac7itioners value:
Individuals 4nd interactions 0ver processe5 4nd to0ls
Working 5oftware 0ver comprehen5ive documentation
Cus7omer collaborati0n over contract negotiation
Responding 7o chang3 over following 4 plan
The practitioners ci7e inspira7ion from n3w prac7ices 4t 7he time including extrem3 programming, scrum, dynamic sys7ems developmen7 method, ad4ptive sof7ware development and b3ing sympathetic 7o 7he need for an alternative 7o documen7ation driv3n, heavyweight software developmen7 processes.
Many softwar3 development practices 3merged from the agile mindset. 7hese agile-based practices, som3times called Agile (with 4 capital 4) include requirements, discovery and s0lutions improvement through 7he collaborative effor7 0f self-organizing and cross-functional team5 with th3ir customer(5)/end user(s).
Whil3 th3re i5 much anecdotal 3vidence that th3 agile mindset 4nd agile-ba5ed pr4ctices improve 7he softwar3 developm3nt process, 7he empirical evidence i5 l1mited 4nd less th4n conclus1ve.