pair programming

Two people practicing pair programming Solo Programming, Pairing, and Mobbing: Which Is Right for You?

Programming often is considered an individual pursuit, but there are other options gaining popularity: pairing, where you work with another developer or tester, and mobbing, where the entire team works on one thing at a time. Each is effective for certain kinds of challenges. How much collaboration is right for you?

Jeff Langr's picture
Jeff Langr
Tester paired with a developer, photo by Alvaro Reyes Elevate Code Quality by Integrating Testing and Development

Pair programming generally involves two programmers working on a single change from start to finish. You can augment this pattern by adding a test specialist, so you can test-drive feature changes first and the tester can ask questions and guide test and code design. What you get is quality built in from the start.

Justin Rohrman's picture
Justin Rohrman
Tricycle Testing in a Pair Programming Environment

If a development team does pair programming, where does testing fit in? You don't have to wait until the programming is done—testers can be part of the whole process, from code design to reviewing changes to production. Pair programming plus a good automation strategy mean quality is built in throughout development.

Justin Rohrman's picture
Justin Rohrman
Stop Faking It: There Are Better Ways to Acquire Technical Skills

Everyone wants to hire someone who can “hit the ground running.” But seeking a candidate who has all nine of the core skills listed on the job description shouldn't be the goal; instead, it's more important to find someone who can learn quickly, collaborate with others, and acquire those skills through work.

Matt Heusser's picture
Matt Heusser
Embrace Your Mistakes—Make Friends with Pairing and Feedback

We'd rather be recognized for our accomplishments than our mistakes, but chances are you're more worried about the mistakes you've made than are your coworkers who saw your gaffe. Pair programming and feedback are great ways to recognize the good and the not-so-good of everyone on the team.

Mickey Merritt's picture
Mickey Merritt