In this lecture, we are going to learn about XP practices. We have divided this video into two sections. So, in this video, we are going to talk about the first five practices. And then the rest of the practices we are going to talk about in the next lecture. Before we learn about individual practices, let us talk about things that are applicable to all. One of the things emphasized in XP is to make sure that the practices are applied in its true spirit, applied with their true purpose in mind. Don't do them just as a ritual. For example, pairing to please your boss is not a good idea. But pairing to communicate, get feedback, simplify the system, catch errors and bolster your courage makes a lot of sense. One of the criticisms around XP is that it is very prescriptive and, in some cases, it is not possible to achieve what is prescribed as part of XP, like capability to build the whole code in ten minutes. Well, the practices were written with the ideal state in mind, so you don't have to achieve them on day one. Keep making progress towards them and as far as you can. For example, building some automated test is better than no test. Now Kent also encourages to experiment with XP practices and learn for yourself if it helps. Don't debate whether it will be useful or not, try it out. Now practices in XP work well together. When you use them individually they will help you. But if you combine multiple practices together, the implement is compounded or the changes are dramatic. Now there are two sets of practices defined in XP, Primary and Corollary. In this lecture and in the next one, we are only going to cover the Primary practices. For Corollary practices, please refer to one of the resources mentioned for this video. Now let's learn a little bit more about each of these practices. Let's talk about the first practice, which is Sitting Together. Aligning with the value of collaboration, XP recommends the team to sit together in open, collaborative environment. Which means tear down the walls between the cubicles. Bring the whole team together to a common area or a common room for collaboration. One caution is to not rush into it. Sometimes, team members are not ready for it. They don't feel safe in an open space. Now we're not talking about physical safety here, we are talking about psychological safety. The next principle is Whole Team. With the focus on delivering the software in short iterations, it is really important that everyone needed for the project's success is part of the team. So if we have the need for database related work and we need a database administrator, we add the person with the required skill to the team. In some cases, you don't require the person for the complete duration of the project. In those cases, you can get the person for the duration of the project you need. XP doesn't recommend having team members a part of multiple teams at the same time. It causes lack of focus and multitasking, which negatively impacts the team's ability to deliver. The third practice we're going to talk about is Informative Workspaces. What do we mean by that? What it means is that you set up your workspace with information on the walls or appropriate places in the workplace so that if any interested person walks into the space, he or she can get an idea about how the project is doing in less than 15 seconds. What information to focus on at a given time may change. So you have to keep the information area up-to-date. Remove things that are no longer relevant. Keep the relevant information up-to-date. Keep the workspace clean and in order, it helps the mind to think clearly about the problem. Another principle we want to talk about is Energized Work. What this means is for team members to work as many hours as they can be productive and only as many hours as they can sustain. Burning themselves out on productivity today and spoiling the next two days doesn't help them or the team. And if team members are sick, it is suggested that you stay out of the office, take rest, get well. And when you're ready, come back to the workspace to collaborate and work with others. Also, in XP, they recommend that you continuously try to improve your productivity during the time when you are with the team. For example, you may want to experiment with restricting email or phone when you're trying to focus on a specific issue. Another principle we want to talk about is Pair Programming. So, pair programming is a practice where two team members are working together on a single computer machine. This does not mean that nobody gets alone time. It is important to allow team members to think about the problem individually. So there is always this alone time when needed, but the majority of the work is done in pairs. So, again, two people tackling the same problem together. This is one of those controversial XP practices where the industry is divided on its use and its benefit. Whereas, for eXtreme Programming, both developers who are working on it keep each other on task. It helps them brainstorm refinement to the system. It helps them clarify ideas with each other. It also allows for one person to take initiative when their partner is stuck, thus lowering the frustration. And then they can also hold each other accountable to the team's practice. So, in this lecture, we learned about five XP practices, Sit Together, Whole Team, Informative Workspace, Energized Work, and Pair Programming. In the next lecture, we're going to talk about the rest of the XP practices.
