Extreme Programming Installed Ch 10-12

Summary 

Chapter 10 – Quick Design Session – The chapter essentially discusses design sessions and for who and why are they useful. After breaking down a story into tasks you might find yourself stuck. If so, get a few people together and spend no more than half an hour designing the solution for the task. After listening to your colleague’s ideas, pick the simple one and start coding.

Chapter 11 – Programming – The chapter talks about several key points for XP programmers. First, all programmers must own all the code, so there are no delays in fixing or making the code better. Second, the code must be as simple as possible. Third, keep refactoring, which is the process of improving the code’s structure while preserving its function. Fourth, integrate code as often as possible. Fifth, use a coding standard. Finally, do not work more than 40 hours per week.

Chapter 12 – Pair Programming – In XP, all code is written by working in pairs. Pair programming means two programmers, side by side, working together to write the program. Both partners have responsibilities during the process and its not just one programmer looking at another one code. They both have to be very involved. If done correctly, pair programming will make you go faster in any situation.

 
Discussion

As with the rest of the chapters I have read, I believe the book is very well written and really easy to follow. However, I think most of the points they made in this three chapters are easy to write and agree on but actually hard to accomplish. For example, integrating code too often and early can sometimes be very difficult, time consuming, and in some occasions pointless. Also, I believe working in pair, side by side in a productive manner, is incredibly hard to achieve. First, it is hard for the driver as sometimes you can’t concentrate with somebody looking over your shoulder. Second, it is also hard for the partner as it is very easy to get lost on somebody elses code. Overall, if all these requirements were followed I don’t doubt it would be a much practical and productive way of programming.