1) In software development, a prototype is a rudimentary working model of a product or information system, usually built for demonstration purposes or as part of the development process. In the systems development life cycle (SDLC) Prototyping Model, a basic version of the system is built, tested, and then reworked as necessary until an acceptable prototype is finally achieved from which the complete system or product can now be developed.
2) In prototype-based programming, a prototype is an original object; new objects are created by copying the prototype.
3) In hardware design, a prototype is a "hand-built" model that represents a manufactured (easily replicable) product sufficiently for designers to visualize and test the design.
The word prototype comes from the Latin words proto, meaning original, and typus, meaning form or model. In a non-technical context, a prototype is an especially representative example of a given category.
This was last updated in August 2005
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