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What We Have Learned
About Extreme Programming

Lessons Learned

 Release Planning
 The Team owns the schedule.

 Simplicity
 Simplicity is easier to maintain.
 You aren't going to need it.

 System Metaphor
 A metaphor can simplify the design.

 Pair Programming
 The whole is greater than the parts.
 Some rules of thumb.
 Rein in the Cowboy Coders.
 Pairing reduces indecision.
 Make no mistake, pairing is hard work.
 Experimental evidence for pairing.
 Code reviews considered hurtful.

 Integrate Often
 XP and Databases.
 Integration can be reduced to seconds.
 Optimize Last
 It may not be as slow as you think.

 Unit Tests
 Well worth the investment.
 Could have saved us some time.
 Testing first makes the code testable.

 Acceptance Tests
 They give a feeling of stability.
 Create a tool to maintain them.

 If you have been using Extreme Programming (XP) or a component practice tell us what you have learned! If you have a story to tell about something that saved you time please send it in. If you have a story about what doesn't work send that too. Please write a lesson learned about an XP practice and send it to the webmaster.

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Copyright 1999 J. Donovan Wells all rights reserved