The basic concepts and definitions, software classification, stages of creating a software product within the life cycle are considered, the current state of software development technologies is highlighted. Existing approaches to assessing the quality of software creation processes are outlined, requirements are analyzed and software specifications are defined. Much attention is paid to the design of software, its reliability, collective development with the help of modern version control systems. The theoretical material is accompanied by a workshop in the form of laboratory work on the presented topics . It is intended for students and teachers of higher educational institutions of technical profile, as well as for specialists of any subject area who have shown interest in the current state of methods and means of programming.