Agile Extreme Programming

Question 1

Define Extreme Programming (XP)

Answer 1

It is an agile software development framework that aims to produce higher quality software and higher quality of life for the development team.

Question 2

What are the origins of Extreme programming?

Answer 2

Developed in the 1990s to address specific software development requirements in the face of vague or changing requirements. (Beck at the Chrysler Corp)

Question 3

Describe the Extreme Programming Mindset.

Answer 3

Kent Beck described the following as a minimal set of effective practices:
- Very Short Iterations (Planning Game)
- Continuous Code Reviews (Pair Programming)
- Extensive Testing (Test-Driven Approach)
- Automating builds (Continuous Integration)
- Constant design improvement (Refactoring)
- Continuous architecture refinement (Metaphor)

Question 4

Describe the XP tenets

Answer 4

XP aims to flatten the cost of change curve by applying XP values, roles and practices.

Question 5

What are the five XP Values

Answer 5

Communication
Feedback
Simplicity
Respect
Courage

Question 6

Describe the XP Value of Communication.

Answer 6

Software development requires communication to transfer knowledge. Most problems can be traced back to a lack of communication.

XP employs communication in the area of fine scale feedback, (e.g., Paired programming, Planning game, Test-driven Development, and Whole team) and Shared Understanding (e.g., Coding standards, collective coed ownership, simple design and system metaphor).

Question 7

What is the responsibility of the XP Coach?

Answer 7

To notice poor communication and to facilitate effective information exchange.

Question 8

Describe the XP value of simplicity.

Answer 8

It is the quality or condition of being easy to understand, do or uncomplicated in design. Avoids waste. (What is the simplest thing that will work). (Remember the KISS mentality).

It means doing a simple thing today, even if it means we pay a little more to change it tomorrow, by addressing only the known requirements without trying to predict future requirements.

Question 9

Describe the relationship between simplicity and communication.

Answer 9

Simplicity and communication have a mutually supporting relationship, in that when there is more communication, there is clearer understanding of what is needed, and the higher the confidence level on what doesn’t need to be done. As well, the simpler the solution, the less communication required.

Question 10

Define the XP value of feedback.

Answer 10

Constant feedback about previous efforts means that teams can identify area for improvement and revise their practices. Feedback also supports simple design.

Question 11

Define the XP value of Courage.

Answer 11

It is effective action in the face of fear and is required to raise organizational issues that reduce the project teams effectiveness, allows the opportunity to stop something that does not work and try something else or to accept and act on feedback.

Question 12

Define the XP value of Respect.

Answer 12

Builds on the other four values of communication, simplicity, feedback and courage, respect means respecting ones thoughts, feelings, abilities, qualities or achievements.

It is demonstrated by programmers that never commit changes that break compilation, that make existing tests fail, or that otherwise delay the work of their peers. Team members strive for high quality and seek the best design.

Question 13

What are the four roles and one optional role of the XP team?

Answer 13

• Customer
• Programmer
• Tester
• Coach
• Optional: Tracker

Question 14

Define the role of Customer

Answer 14

Commonly includes:
- Driving project goals and features.
- making business decisions.
- participating in the planning game.
- Acceptance tests.
- Representing business/Sponsor interests.
- Prioritizing
- Ideally a single voice.

Question 15

Define the programmer role.

Answer 15

Commonly includes:
- collaborating to create customer solutions.
- pair programming
- Programming testing
- Applying designs, coding standards and refactoring.
- collective code ownership.

Question 16

Define the Tester role.

Answer 16

Areas commonly include:

• Helping the customer choose/write functional tests.
• Running functional and integration tests.
• Supporting programmers.
• Setting up the test landscape.
• Post testing reports.
• Validating and confirming defect resolution.

Question 17

Define the Coach role.

Answer 17

Areas commonly include:
- Optimizing use and veneifits of applied XP practices.
- Demonstrating XP values.
- Noticing team process.
- Ensuring focus on project objectives/iterations.
- suggesting improvements in XP practices.
- resolving team conflicts.
- Serving as an intermediary.
- mentor and train.

Question 18

Define the optional role of the tracker.

Answer 18

Commonly includes:
- tracking project schedule.
- capturing progress.
- supporting a sustainable pace.
- identifying ration of passing to failing tests.
Logging and resolving issues.

Question 19

What are the four XP activities?

Answer 19

1. listening
2. Designing.
3. Coding.
4. Testing.

Question 20

What are the four agile principles that are connected to Fine Scale Feedback.

Answer 20

• Pair programming.
• Planning Game
• Test-driven development.
• Whole team (customer)

Question 21

Describe Paired Programming.

Answer 21

Two programmers are better than one. This allows for continuous review and quicker response to problems. One programmer will be the driver, and one will be the reviewer/observer.

Question 22

What is the purpose/objective of the planning game?

Answer 22

To effectively steer and guide the project activities in order to meet both business value and technical feature objectives.

Question 23

What are the advantages of Test-driven development?

Answer 23

• increases confidence in the code and system stability.
• promotes simpler, more independent less-coupled code.
• clarifies functional requirements.
• Facilitates final acceptance.

Question 24

What is the “Whole Team” and the objective?

Answer 24

The whole team refers to a cross-functional group of people with the necessary roles for a product that form a single team. The objective is to ensure what is developed is what is needed and adds business value.

Question 25

What are the three agile principles connected to “Continuous Process”

Answer 25

1. Continuous integration.
2. Refactoring (design improvement)
3. Small Releases.

Question 26

What is continuous integration and the objective?

Answer 26

Continuous integration is about automating processes for a team to continuously build and test software, many times a day. The objective is to ensure stable code base to deliver a suitable version for release at any moment.

Question 27

What is refactoring, and what is the objective?

Answer 27

Refactoring represents a set of guidelines for a specific programming language that recommend programming style, practices, and methods. The objective is to increase cohesion of the code while lowering the coupling.

Question 28

Describe the key advantages of small releases.

Answer 28

1. providing business value early.
2. reduce the risk and scope variance.
3. Improving communication and feedback from customers and end-users.

Question 29

What are the four agile principles connected to Shared Understanding?

Answer 29

1. Coding standards.
2. Collective code ownership.
3. simple design.
4. System metaphor.

Question 30

What are coding standards and their advantages?

Answer 30

Coding standards represent a set of guidelines for a specific programming language that recommend programming style, practices, and methods. The advantages are to:
- support collective ownership.
- enhance reading and interpretation of base code.
- reduce the amount of time spent reformatting other’s code.

Question 31

What is “collective code ownership” and the main objective?

Answer 31

Anybody who sees an opportunity to add value to any portion of the code is required to do so. The objective is that everybody takes responsibility for the whole code base and system.

Question 32

What are the advantages of simple design?

Answer 32

• Avoids redundant, duplicated or copies of information or logic.
• Promotes the successful running of all necessary tests.
• Ensures the result states the important intention of the programmers.
• Prevents the mentality of implement for today, design for tomorrow.

Question 33

What is the System metaphor and the objective?

Answer 33

Provides a guiding vision and definition of an XP project complementing what is commonly referred to as the system architecture. It’s objective is to establish a common mental model and descriptive language of a system an how it is intended to perform.