Going to eXtremes?
As software architects and developers, we have encountered many methodologies–public and proprietary–over the last decade and a half. The one the comes closest to our ideal of a "flexible-yet-rigorous" process for creating software in the Internet age is one called "extreme programming," or XP. Despite its radical name, XP applies a solid (and refreshing) realism to the needs of managing the programmer's craft.
XP specifies a granular and iterative approach to software development.
- It is "granular" in the sense that programming tasks are structured and assigned according specific customer requirements.
- It is "iterative" in that these programming tasks can be completed, tested, and reviewed for up-to-date acceptance on a schedule that allows for real-world change and upgrade.
Most important, by its emphasis on customer involvement, well-defined component development and scrupulous unit testing, XP focuses the entire development effort on the true goal: customer satisfaction.
Our overview here doesn't do justice this creative, yet common sense approach to software development. We recommend that you investigate the eXtremeProgramming Web site, www.extremeprogramming.org.
