Friday, May 2, 2014

Agile in a Flash 34

Agile in a Flash by Jeff Langr and Tim Ottinger (card #34)

> Anyone can modify any code at any time
> The team adheres to a single style guide
> Original authorship is immaterial
> Abundant automated tests create confidence
> Version control provides insurance
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Anyone can modify any code at any time. You may improve any section of the code without wasting time seeking permission. You’re not a cubed individual piling up a code fiefdom, but part of a team collaborating on a deeply connected system.
The team adheres to a single style guide. The points in Card 35, Coding Standards, reduce the wasteful friction of learning a new standard when working elsewhere in the system. A common style guide lets you spend time solving problems that matter. Your IDE might be able to help here.
Original authorship is immaterial. Personal attachment to “your” code provides no additional value when your team all strives toward the same goal of high quality code. Lose the pride over code you just created, substituting enthusiasm for figuring out how to make it even better.
Abundant automated tests create confidence. TDD provides abundant tests that both declare and protect the original programmer’s intent, giving you the freedom to refactor with impunity.

Version control provides insurance. The use of a good version control system means you can return to a previous (working, tested) version of the system, making code experiments affordable.

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