XP- EXTREME PROGRAMMING

XP- Extreme Programming

XP- Extreme Programming

Introduction

The agile software development method extreme programming - XP (Beck, 2000) promises high performance to teams adopting it throughout. However, satisfying technical aspects does not suffice to implement extreme programming. It is basic that some cultural facets should be present at the working natural natural environment (Larsen and Kerievsky, 2003).

As regards to applying new procedures, Mcbreen (2002) alerts that adaptation to a new programs development procedure is not always an very simple task, since organization constituents need to change attitude and values. To McBreen, alterations on organizational heritage are intriguing, but rarely considered. Henceforth, it is essential to choose a programs development method that suits the organizational culture.

Within some heritage facets essential for the implementation of XP, the following can be pinpointed: business principles associated to employees' motivation, cohesion in the development group, and popular leadership. The absence of these facets at the organizational environment may demand deep alterations in the company. In the identical way, alterations may be necessary in case there are certain facets hindering XP implementation, as for example, predominance of one-by-one work, need of connection and integration among software developers, and company resistance in relative to alterations (e.g. adoption of new technologies).

It is significant to note that if the business interested in the adoption of XP currently uses an agile method (e.g. SCRUM, Schwaber, 1995), the influence may be smaller. This happens because XP needs that some heritage aspects (also required by other agile procedures) already are part of the environment. Otherwise, the implementation of the agile method would not be successful. Nevertheless, XP is often the first agile procedure that companies propose to implement.

Within this context, a anxiety arises. This anxiety has to do with the wearing out originated from XP implementation in companies which organizational heritage is highly incompatible with practices and values of the method. Thus this study aspires at highlighting heritage facets of software companies, which may leverage favorably or unfavorably XP adoption. This may supply parameters to endow former concern over the method's compatibility with the heritage association of the company.

Extreme programming

Extreme programming is one of the software development methods that has most stood out among the so-called agile methods (Agile, 2001). Its building are founded on practices and standards that complement each other, and they should be carefully pursued for the effectivity of the method.

XP directing standards are: communication, ease, repsonse, and bravery (Beck, 2000). These values should be present in the practices prescribed by the method, which are: On-site Customer, Planning Game, Metaphor, Simple Design, Small Release, Pair Programming, Testing, Refactoring, Continuous Integration, 40-Hour Week, Coding Standard, and Collective Ownership (Beck, 2000).

According to Abrahamsson et al. (2003), the Software technology control and respect currently recognizes and values most of the XP procedure, such as testing and refactoring. Even so, XP procedure has a particularity, i.e. need for synergy amidst its practices, which entire each other.

Furthermore, it is significant to observe that XP paradigm differs from customary software development procedures in the sense that ...