Extreme Programming Pocket Guide

by Shane Warden

Extreme Programming (XP) is a radical new approach to software development that has been accepted quickly because its core practices--the need for constant testing, programming in pairs, inviting customer input, and the communal ownership of code--resonate with developers everywhere. Although many developers feel that XP is rooted in commonsense, its vastly different approach can bring challenges, frustrations, and constant demands on your patience. Unless you've got unlimited time (and who does these days?), you can't always stop to thumb through hundreds of pages to find the piece of information you need. The Extreme Programming Pocket Guide is the answer. Concise and easy to use, this handy pocket guide to XP is a must-have quick reference for anyone implementing a test-driven development environment. The Extreme Programming Pocket Guide covers XP assumptions, principles, events, artifacts, roles, and resources, and more. It concisely explains the relationships between the XP practices. If you want to adopt XP in stages, the Extreme Programming Pocket Guide will help you choose what to apply and when. You'll be surprised at how much practical information is crammed into this slim volume. O'Reilly's Pocket Guides have become a favorite among developers everywhere. By providing a wealth of important details in a concise, well-organized format, these handy books deliver just what you need to complete the task at hand. When you've reached a sticking point in your work and need to get to a solution quickly, the new Extreme Programming Pocket Guide is the book you'll want to have beside your keyboard.

Genres: Programming, Technology, Nonfiction, Technical, Software, Reference

106 pages, Paperback

First published July 24, 2003

Reviews

[Prince Venus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book Review: Extreme Programming Values and Practices

Delving into the core principles of Extreme Programming (XP), this comprehensive guide provides insights into the values and practices that underpin this agile methodology.

Summary:
The book emphasizes four key values: Communication, Feedback, Simplicity, and Courage. It elucidates how effective communication, particularly through face-to-face interaction, facilitates understanding and decision-making between customers and developers. Feedback loops, crucial for timely adjustments and improvements, are highlighted as fundamental to the XP process. Simplicity is championed as a means to solve present-day issues without unnecessary complexity, while Courage is lauded for its role in making tough decisions and admitting mistakes.

Insights on Practices:
The book details various coding, developer, and business practices essential to the XP approach. From coding practices like prioritizing simplicity and relentless refactoring to developer practices such as Test-Driven Development and Pair Programming, it offers actionable strategies for enhancing software development processes. Additionally, business practices like integrating customers into the team and maintaining sustainable work pace underscore the holistic approach of XP.

Noteworthy Elements:
Throughout the book, emphasis is placed on the importance of rapid feedback, continual iteration, and minimalistic documentation. It advocates for an open workspace environment conducive to collaboration, as well as the empowerment of developers through rights to estimate work and make technical decisions.

Critical Analysis:
One strength of this work lies in its clarity and practicality. By providing real-world examples and actionable steps, it offers valuable insights for both novice and experienced practitioners of XP. However, some readers may find the extensive coverage of practices overwhelming, requiring careful consideration and adaptation to suit specific organizational contexts.

Conclusion:
Extreme Programming Values and Practices is a comprehensive guide for those seeking to adopt or improve their understanding of XP methodologies. Through a blend of theoretical frameworks and practical applications, it offers a compelling argument for the efficacy of XP in modern software development environments. This book serves as a valuable resource for teams striving to enhance collaboration, efficiency, and ultimately, the quality of their software products

[Wilson Gov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book to dive into the XP principles and quickly understand the basics of it with some good advice about how to start implementing XP into a team.

[Jeroen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dense overview of XP principles and practices.
Good for a quick, no-bullshit primer.

[NLG · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dense but clear definition of extreme programming while sufficiently sharing the motivation behind it. It goes through the 12 parts of XP, but is missing a good list / summary of them that I was kinda hoping. I did love the form factor of the pocket book!

[Curtismchale · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you’re a solo programmer, then some of these practices just won’t work. You don’t have someone to pair with so you can’t pair program. Still, adopt as many of these as you can and you’ll write better code and deliver better work to your customers.

The only bad part about the book is that it tends to repeat itself towards the end. At least as it repeats itself it gets shorter so you can skim even faster.

[Robert Postill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this and I've started to use it as the intro for agile for colleagues who are less familiar with agile. The author covers all the basics you'd expect from a book on XP and the detail is sufficient for a pocket guide. There's a lovely matter-of-fact nature that's missing from other guides to agile and that makes the material much easier to digest.

[Eduardo Ferro · Rating 3 out of 5]

Surely this book won't change your way of thinking about how to develop software, but it can introduce you to the XP methodology. It is very concise, easy to read and very handy for quick reference on XP practices and values.

It's very useful for remembering/enforce principles, artifacts, roles and practices used by XP.

[Timmie McArthur · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book provided a good explanation of the interplay among XP practices. However, its treatment of velocity is different than what I have seen in more recent texts. I am not sure if that is due to the date of this book (2003) or due to differences among XP and other agile approaches. Notwithstanding this difference, I found its treatment of velocity to be insightful.

[James Hatton · Rating 3 out of 5]

A technical book on the extreme programming methodology. A quick, succinct read, so worth it. There are some techniques here that scale to bigger projects, and should be used on bigger project, however I'm not a big proponent of a full embrace of extreme programming for enterprise-scale projects.

[Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good and short, but very basic introduction to XP.