Tag Archives: XPlorations

The System Metaphor Explored

Posted on February 27, 2012 by Bill Wake

The System Metaphor is one of the less popular parts of Extreme Programming (XP). Newer descriptions often even omit it. But metaphor is useful – when you have  a good one, it really helps you understand and organize your system. … Continue reading →

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Independent Stories in the INVEST Model

Posted on February 8, 2012 by Bill Wake

The INVEST model is a reminder of the important characteristics of user stories, and it starts with I for Independent. Independent stories each describe different aspects of a system's capabilities. They are easier to work with because each one can … Continue reading →

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3A – Arrange, Act, Assert

Posted on April 26, 2011 by Bill Wake

Some unit tests are focused, other are like a run-on sentence. How can we create tests that are focused and communicate well? What's a good structure for a unit test? 3A: Arrange, Act, Assert We want to test the behavior … Continue reading →

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Tests from a Hat

Posted on October 6, 2010 by Bill Wake

How does the order of tests affect the design of software? A game to explore that idea. Continue reading →

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Review – Growing Object-Oriented Software, Guided by Tests

Posted on October 4, 2010 by Bill Wake

Growing Object-Oriented Software, Guided by Tests, by Steve Freeman and Nat Pryce, ISBN 0-321-50362-7   Freeman and Pryce explain Test-Driven Development through an extended example. (They have a somewhat different perspective than I do, with much heavier use of mock objects. … Continue reading →

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Movie Retrospective

Posted on August 15, 2010 by Bill Wake

When I'm teaching about retrospectives, there has always been a challenge: a simulated retrospective wants a shared experience. But what shared experience to use? The one experience I know we share is the session we're in, but using a retrospective … Continue reading →

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Coach Interview: Declan Whelan

Posted on March 12, 2010 by Bill Wake

Interview with coach Declan Whelan. Continue reading →

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Embracing Commitment

Posted on December 15, 2009 by Bill Wake

Commitment is a powerful tool. Continue reading →

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Coach Interview: Alexey Krivitsky

Posted on December 15, 2009 by Bill Wake

Interview with coach Alexey Krivitsky. Continue reading →

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User Story Examples

Posted on April 17, 2009 by Bill Wake

This is a sample set of user stories for a time management system. Continue reading →

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Coach Interview: Lisamarie Babik

Posted on March 17, 2009 by Bill Wake

Interview with coach Lisamarie Babik. Continue reading →

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Set-Based Concurrent Engineering

Posted on December 20, 2006 by Bill Wake

Set-based concurrent engineering: considering a solution as the intersection of a number of feasible parts, rather than iterating on a bunch of individual “point-based” solutions. Continue reading →

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Slicing Functionality: Alternate Paths

Posted on July 28, 2006 by Bill Wake

When you need to break up a big feature, you often have many choices about how to do so. Continue reading →

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Sudoku Solver

Posted on July 10, 2006 by Bill Wake

Sudoku is a fairly well-known type of puzzle. Solving it turns out to be easier than I expected, but a somewhat odd example of test-driven development. Continue reading →

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Agile Project Management, XP Style

Posted on May 27, 2006 by Bill Wake

How do you plan the overall shape of a project in XP? This article summarizes planning with little reference to the programming aspects of XP. Continue reading →

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