My Experiences In Pair Programming
A chance conversation over twitter with @mclazarus got me thinking about what I know, and don’t, know about Pair Programming. The following is the result of that thought process. Cue Law and Order noise
Configurations
Two People at One Desk
- One Screen, two keyboards/mice
- One screen, one keyboard/mouse, HIDs passed back and forth
- Two screens, two keyboards/mice, mirrored or shared display with both developers looking at the same visuals
Two people at different desks in same room/building
- Two screens, two keyboards/mice, mirrored or shared display with both developers looking at the same visuals
Two people geographically separated
- Two computers remotely connected with some screen sharing technology (From: Screen/Tmux to YuuGuu to SubethaEdit to iChat
Deal killers
People
- Have to give it an honest shot.
- Have to be able to communicate.
Takeaways
Successful pairing is less about how you accomplish it so long as you respect those things called out in the agile manifesto.
Deal killers
People
- Have to give it an honest shot.
- Have to be able to communicate.
Takeaways
Successful pairing is less about how you accomplish it so long as you respect those things called out in the agile manifesto.
Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
Working software over comprehensive documentation
Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
Responding to change over following a plan
