Exploring Extreme Programming
In Part 1, we looked at state machines and some common variants. This time we’ll look at code: how can you implement state machines? We’ll look at several approaches, in two classes: interpreter and direct-coded. (You could think “interpreter vs Continue reading State Machines, Part 2: Interpreter Code
State machines are a very useful abstraction for behavior, but not everybody has run across them. This tool is useful for programmers, and for anybody else who is trying to create or understand a system. Why take the trouble to Continue reading State Machines: Part 1, Principles
Some teams try to start projects directly with user stories, but many important things need to happen earlier to make those effective. Chartering (aka Liftoff) provides a better way to structure the start of a project. Beyond that, there are Continue reading Chartering and more: What happens before user stories?
I’ve been broadcasting on Twitch (https://twitch.tv/williamwake) for about 6 months. It took a little doing to understand what I needed to set up, so I thought I’d pay it forward and share what I did with others. At the end, Continue reading Setup for Live-Coding on Twitch (and Zoom)
I Am Pilgrim, by Terry Hayes This is a compelling thriller, what I used to call an airport read. (Admittedly 2020 is clearly trying hard to outdo fiction.) It has all the classic elements – a huge threat, characters we Continue reading Review – I Am Pilgrim
Your code sometimes evolves to have two or more arrays operating in parallel. If these arrays work in lockstep, it might be better to have one array with objects instead. Let’s look at an example refactoring from one to the Continue reading Refactor: Parallel Arrays to Array of Objects
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, by Isabel Wilkerson. 2020. The premise of this book is that America has a literal caste system, in the same sense as India or Nazi Germany have had. The system sorts people by attributes Continue reading Review – Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents
Many user stories fit the model of trigger and response: the user does something, the system responds. For example, if you type a letter, the word processor inserts it; if you press the “Buy” button, the system processes your order. Continue reading Is Trigger vs Response a Good Story Split?
“If” statements often attract complexity. They gather compound conditions that are hard to understand. More “if” statements get nested inside. It gets hard to know under what conditions any bit of code will run. “Duplicate and Customize” is a refactoring Continue reading Refactor: Duplicate and Customize
I’ve been involved with several projects over the last few months, and each has user stories associated with it. People often ask for examples of user stories, so I thought I’d share these. The Form By default, I use the Continue reading Examples of User Stories 2020