Extreme Programming Myths

ExtremeProgramming or more precisely extreme programmers have cultivated quite a few myths over the time. Maybe it's useful to bring them back to their real status of assertions, which might be truthful from time to time depending on the situation. They might be truthful in the majority of cases one can encounter in practice, however this should not promote them to the level of God sent truth.

Here is a list of some:

CodeUnitTestFirst is always faster, cheaper, better.
UnitTests make StaticTyping redundant.
BigDesignUpFront is always bad, and DoSimpleThings + RefactorMercilessly will always work better.
Documentation is useless

Two eXtremos (PhlIp, BenKovitz) do not believe any of these myths. Engineering is about tradeoffs, and the above items are all absolutes.

One of the MythsAboutXp is that eXtremos believe in myths like these.

Furthermore, if the above myths "might be truthful in the majority of cases one can encounter in practice", then they are clearly not myths at all.

myth: A person or thing existing only in imagination, or whose actual existence is not verifiable. An ancient story or belief that is untrue or without foundation.

Cheers, -- JasonNocks

Some experimental results about test first has been published.

http://domino.mpi-sb.mpg.de/internet/news.nsf/0/f35061940b316ea7c1256b870050b767/$FILE/tichy.pdf

More independent evaluations and analysis can be found here:

http://www.ipd.uka.de/~exp/

The biggest myth is that ExtremeProgramming projects usually succeed. In practice, they fail just as often as with other methods.

: Evidence?

But see AdvantagesOfExtremeProgramming

CategoryXpCritique

EditText of this page (last edited November 21, 2004)
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