What are applications that automate parts of the software development lifecycle known as?

Applications that automate parts of the software development lifecycle are referred to as CASE tools, which stands for Computer-Aided Software Engineering tools. These tools help streamline various stages of software development, including requirements analysis, design, coding, testing, and maintenance. By providing a range of functionalities such as graphical modeling, code generation, testing, and documentation, CASE tools enhance productivity and improve consistency throughout the development process.

The primary advantage of using CASE tools lies in their ability to facilitate collaboration among team members, automate routine tasks, and reduce the potential for errors, making it easier to manage the complexity of software projects. This ultimately leads to more efficient development processes and can significantly shorten the time required to deliver high-quality software solutions.

While other options like development platforms, project management software, and integrated development environments also play important roles in software development, they do not specifically automate the entire software development lifecycle in the way that CASE tools do. Development platforms may provide an environment for building applications but do not necessarily offer lifecycle automation features. Project management software helps with planning and tracking progress but is not focused directly on the development process, and integrated development environments primarily assist with coding and debugging rather than covering the full lifecycle. Therefore, CASE tools are the most fitting choice for this question.