Ideal XP environment
Continuing on the TDD list, this message from Robert Hanson has the best description of the goals of XP that I've ever read.
In an excellent programming environment there is no fear.
- The customer has told us exactly what he values most. I have no fear that I might be working on something he does not want.
- The code I'm working on is test driven. I have no fear (or at least, very little fear) that the code might do something I don't want it to do.
- All other code has unit tests; and I have continuous integration in place. I have no fear that my code will break something without me knowing it; and I have every confidence that if it does break, I can quickly find the problem and fix it, and verify that the fix works and does not break anything else.
- I have source code control in place; if a change is really catastrophic, I just go back to yesterday's version and start over.
- I have short iterations, so that I have no fear that if priorities or business needs change, I can adapt to the new requirements without fear.
- I have a pair, which I change every few hours or at the start of each day. I don't worry that some key piece of knowledge is known by just one person.
And boy, do I wish I actually worked at a place like this.
I wish I worked there too. Check out the replies, they contain some great discussion.
Comments
Comment preview