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  • Book
  • © 2003

Extreme Programming Refactored

The Case Against XP

Apress
  • Cuts through the hype and tells "the other side of the story" about Extreme Programming

  • Provides a thorough and systematic analysis of XP practices and separates the "agile" from the "fragile"

  • Distinguishes useful XP techniques (e.g. use of automated unit testing tools) from questionable ones (e.g. oral documentation)

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Table of contents (16 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages N2-xxviii
  2. Another Fine Mess You’ve Gotten Me Into (Laurel and Hardy, Take Up Programming)

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1
    2. XP in a Nuthouse (Oops, We Mean Nutshell)

      • Matt Stephens, Doug Rosenberg
      Pages 3-29
    3. Where Did XP Come From? (Chrysler Knows It Ain’t Easy.)

      • Matt Stephens, Doug Rosenberg
      Pages 31-56
    4. The Case Against XP

      • Matt Stephens, Doug Rosenberg
      Pages 57-82
  3. Social Aspects of XP (Mama Don’t Let Your Coders Grow Up to Be Cowboys)

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 83-83
    2. Extremo Culture

      • Matt Stephens, Doug Rosenberg
      Pages 85-116
    3. The On-site Customer

      • Matt Stephens, Doug Rosenberg
      Pages 117-134
    4. Pair Programming (Dear Uncle Joe, My Pair Programmer Has Halitosis)

      • Matt Stephens, Doug Rosenberg
      Pages 135-160
    5. Oral Documentation (Oxymoronic, or Just Plain Moronic?)

      • Matt Stephens, Doug Rosenberg
      Pages 161-179
  4. We Don’t Write Permanent Specs and Barely Do Any Upfront Design, So.

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 181-181
    2. Design After First Testing

      • Matt Stephens, Doug Rosenberg
      Pages 183-200
    3. User Stories and Acceptance Tests

      • Matt Stephens, Doug Rosenberg
      Pages 227-245
  5. The Perpetual Coding Machine

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 247-247
    2. Software Is Never Done (The Schedule Does Not Exist Per Se)

      • Matt Stephens, Doug Rosenberg
      Pages 249-267
    3. Emergent Architecture and Design

      • Matt Stephens, Doug Rosenberg
      Pages 269-292
    4. Embracing Change (Embrace People, Manage Change)

      • Matt Stephens, Doug Rosenberg
      Pages 293-310
  6. The Big Picture

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 311-311
    2. Scalability

      • Matt Stephens, Doug Rosenberg
      Pages 313-335

About this book

Extreme Programming Refactored: The Case Against XP (featuring Songs of the Extremos) takes a satirical look at the increasingly-hyped extreme programming (XP) methodology. It explores some quite astonishing Extremo quotes that have typified the XP approach quotes such as, “XPers are not afraid of oral documentation,” “Schedule is the customer's problem,” “Dependencies between requirements are more a matter of fear than reality” and “Concentration is the enemy.”

In between the chuckles, though, there is a serious analysis of XP's many flaws. The authors also examine C3, the first XP project, whose team (most of whom went on to get XP book deals shortly before C3's cancellation) described themselves as "the best team on the face of the Earth." (In a later chapter, the authors also note that one problem which can affect pair programmers is overconfidence—or is that "eXcessive courage"?). The authors examine whether the problems that led to C3's “inexplicable” cancellation could also afflict present-day XP projects.

In the final chapter, Refactoring XP, Matt and Doug suggest some ways of achieving the agile goals of XP using some XP practices (used in moderation) combined with other, less risk-laden methods.

About the authors

A bio is not available for this author.

Bibliographic Information

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 34.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 44.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access