Extreme Programming (XP) Practices
<default_to_action> When applying XP practices:
- START with practices that give immediate value
- BUILD supporting practices gradually
- ADAPT to your context
- MEASURE results
Core XP Practices (Prioritized):
| Practice | Start Here | Why First |
|---|---|---|
| TDD | ✅ Yes | Foundation for everything |
| Continuous Integration | ✅ Yes | Fast feedback |
| Pair Programming | ✅ Yes | Knowledge sharing |
| Collective Ownership | After CI+TDD | Needs safety net |
| Small Releases | After CI | Infrastructure dependent |
Pairing Quick Start:
Driver-Navigator (Classic):
- Driver: Writes code
- Navigator: Reviews, thinks ahead
- Rotate every 20-30 min
Ping-Pong (with TDD):
A: Write failing test
B: Make test pass + refactor
B: Write next failing test
A: Make test pass + refactor
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Quick Reference Card
When to Pair
| Context | Pair? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Complex/risky code | ✅ Always | Needs multiple perspectives |
| New technology | ✅ Always | Learning accelerator |
| Onboarding | ✅ Always | Knowledge transfer |
| Critical bugs | ✅ Always | Two heads better |
| Simple tasks | ❌ Skip | Not worth overhead |
| Research spikes | ❌ Skip | Pair to discuss findings |
Agent Integration
// Agent-human pair testing
const charter = "Test payment edge cases";
const tests = await Task("Generate Tests", { charter }, "qe-test-generator");
const reviewed = await human.review(tests);
await Task("Implement", { tests: reviewed }, "qe-test-generator");
// Continuous integration with agents
await Task("Risk Analysis", { prDiff }, "qe-regression-risk-analyzer");
await Task("Generate Tests", { changes: prDiff }, "qe-test-generator");
await Task("Execute Tests", { scope: 'affected' }, "qe-test-executor");
// Sustainable pace: agents handle grunt work
const agentWork = ['regression', 'data-generation', 'coverage-analysis'];
const humanWork = ['exploratory', 'risk-assessment', 'strategy'];
Agent Coordination Hints
Memory Namespace
aqe/xp-practices/
├── pairing-sessions/* - Pair/ensemble session logs
├── ci-metrics/* - CI health metrics
├── velocity/* - Team velocity data
└── retrospectives/* - XP retrospective notes
Fleet Coordination
const xpFleet = await FleetManager.coordinate({
strategy: 'xp-workflow',
agents: [
'qe-test-generator', // TDD support
'qe-test-executor', // CI integration
'qe-code-reviewer' // Collective ownership
],
topology: 'parallel'
});
Related Skills
- tdd-london-chicago - TDD deep dive
- refactoring-patterns - Safe refactoring
- pair-programming - AI-assisted pairing
Remember
XP practices work as a system - TDD enables collective ownership, CI enables small releases, pairing enables collective ownership. Don't cherry-pick randomly.
With Agents: Pair humans with agents. Agents handle repetitive work (regression, data generation, coverage analysis), humans provide judgment and creativity.