Re: [extremeprogramming] What has changed for you over the past 20 years?

"John Welty" <[email protected]> Sun, 05 Jan 2020 03:34:56 -0800
Newsgroups gmane.comp.programming.extreme-programming
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I learned about Unit Testing when I wanted to learn about refactoring. I bo=
ught the Refactoring book and realized quite quickly I had something else t=
o learn first.

When I learned how to write software to test my software, I learned that I=
 had a lot of working software that I no longer understood and could no lon=
ger easily gain an understanding of. I found long standing bugs that weren=
=E2=80=99t surfacing in operation but which must be causing hiccups at tim=
es.

So my goal with TDD (new) and Test to verify a bug (for existing untested =
code) is to gain understanding and to clarify that gained understanding wit=
h well written tests. I can=E2=80=99t imagine investing software developer =
salaries in busywork (make the coverage tool show green).

If it=E2=80=99s not advancing my understanding and capturing that understa=
nding for my future self and others, it must be adding confusion to the cod=
e base and eroding developer confidence in making changes. Am I missing som=
ething?

I=E2=80=99m still working on learning to think smaller when starting to ap=
proach a problem. I=E2=80=99m fortunate that most of my software is well co=
ntained; I don=E2=80=99t have other developers using it. I=E2=80=99ve been =
unfortunate that I=E2=80=99ve always worked alone and have only my own unde=
rstanding of what authors mean when I read their books.

I started making an investment in my own technical development late in 201=
8 by moving on from just reading books. I started buying some video courses=
 that provided access to the author and stumbled upon the world of technica=
l coaching.

Starting on Monday I=E2=80=99ll no longer be coding solo. I have a new hir=
e starting and I=E2=80=99m looking forward to put pairing and collaboration=
 into practice. I=E2=80=99m quite eager to participate in any learning oppo=
rtunities being facilitated by those who have substance. I=E2=80=99ve waste=
d way too much time learning from those who took it upon themselves to teac=
h something they barely understand themselves.

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<div>I learned about Unit Testing when I wanted to learn about refactoring.=
 I bought the Refactoring book and realized quite quickly I had something e=
lse to learn first.&nbsp;</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>When I learned how to write software to test my software, I learned t=
hat I had a lot of working software that I no longer understood and could n=
o longer easily gain an understanding of. I found long standing bugs that w=
eren&rsquo;t surfacing in operation but which must be causing hiccups at ti=
mes.&nbsp;</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>So my goal with TDD (new) and Test to verify a bug (for existing unte=
sted code) is to gain understanding and to clarify that gained understandin=
g with well written tests. I can&rsquo;t imagine investing software develop=
er salaries in busywork (make the coverage tool show green).&nbsp;</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>If it&rsquo;s not advancing my understanding and capturing that under=
standing for my future self and others, it must be adding confusion to the =
code base and eroding developer confidence in making changes. Am I missing =
something?&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>I&rsquo;m still working on learning to think smaller when starting to=
 approach a problem. I&rsquo;m fortunate that most of my software is well c=
ontained; I don&rsquo;t have other developers using it. I&rsquo;ve been unf=
ortunate that I&rsquo;ve always worked alone and have only my own understan=
ding of what authors mean when I read their books.&nbsp;</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>I started making an investment in my own technical development late i=
n 2018 by moving on from just reading books. I started buying some video co=
urses that provided access to the author and stumbled upon the world of tec=
hnical coaching.&nbsp;</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>
<div>Starting on Monday I&rsquo;ll no longer be coding solo. I have a new =
hire starting and I&rsquo;m looking forward to put pairing and collaboratio=
n into practice. I&rsquo;m quite eager to participate in any learning oppor=
tunities being facilitated by those who have substance. I&rsquo;ve wasted w=
ay too much time learning from those who took it upon themselves to teach s=
omething they barely understand themselves.&nbsp;</div>
<div>&nbsp;</div>

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