Mob Programming (2016)

Mob Programming
May 2016
Peter Kofler, ‘Code Cop’
@codecopkofler
www.code-cop.org
Copyright Peter Kofler, licensed under CC-BY.

Peter Kofler
• Ph.D. (Appl. Math.)
• Professional Software
Developer for 15+ years
• “fanatic about code quality”
• I help development teams
PETER KOFLER, CODE-COP.ORG FANATIC ABOUT CODE QUALITY

I help development teams with
●
Professionalism
●
Quality and
Productivity
●
Continuous
Improvement

Mentoring
●
Pair Programming
●
Programming
Workshops
●
Deliberate
Practice, e.g.
Coding Dojos

Developing Quality
Software Developers

Pair Programming
●
Two programmers
●
work together
●
on the same thing
●
at one workstation.
Pair programming is a dialogue between
two people simultaneously programming
(and analysing and designing and testing)

Mob Programming
●
All the brilliant people
●
working at the same time,
●
in the same space,
●
at the same computer,
●
on the same thing.
http://mobprogramming.org/

Enterprise CTO
not impressed by
mob programming.
“We often have hundreds
of developers working
on the same thing.”
(Hacker News Onion)

Driver
●
Writes code and “does not think“.
(intelligent input device)
●
Only listens to navigator.
●
Asks for help when lost.
●
Participates in discussion when not typing.
●
Rotates every 4 minutes.
(e.g. Coding – Commit – Rotate)

Navigator
●
Formulates the ideas of the team.
●
Tells the driver what to do.
●
Does not tell short-cuts (unless asked).

The Team
●
Focuses on the code.
●
Does not zone out/use mobile phone etc.
●
Proposes changes.
●
Gives ideas.
●
Asks questions.
●
Might google for some API/details.

Facilitator
●
Teams new to Mob Programming might
need a dedicated facilitator with
experience in team dynamics.
●
Does not type or discuss.
●
Cares for the rules.
●
Mitigates emotional aspects of mobbing.

3 Simple Rules
●
Driver does not think.
●
Navigator formulates the ideas of team
and driver only listens to navigator.
●
Start with 4 minute rotation.
(Volunteer will check the timer.)
I heard them first from Nancy Van Schooenderwoert, https://twitter.com/vanschoo

Sandro Mancuso's “Fast Mob“
● Fastest driver.
(We do not want to lose time for rotating or learning short-cuts.)
● Driver is not rotating.
● Driver is the one who types fastest/knows IDE best.
● Driver uses his/her best known environment.
● Constantly move forward.
(If the mob does not decide,
the driver starts typing and moves
forward in any direction.)
http://codurance.com/2015/11/01/practicing-well-crafted-design/

Mitigate Emotional Aspects
(for new/young team with strong opinions)
●
Give preference
(i.e. allow other approaches and see what happens)
●
Stick to a given idea for a few minutes
before questioning it (again).
●
Objections and other/different ideas are
noted, but team moves on.
●
Don't discuss (too much).
●
Don't shout or interrupt.

Hints for working on the
projector or large screen
●
Colours (Contrast is different.)
●
Font size (e.g.
presentation mode)
●
Line numbers
●
Map references on
the monitor →
Image by https://twitter.com/sf105/status/706810807301050370

Peter Kofler
@codecopkofler
www.code-cop.org

CC Images
●
mob https://www.flickr.com/photos/67471462@N00/446597008/
●
Bruce http://www.flickr.com/photos/sherpas428/4350620602/
●
pairing http://www.flickr.com/photos/dav/94735395/
●
driver http://www.flickr.com/photos/48694743@N00/517658329/
●
rules http://www.flickr.com/photos/mc_sensei/3935815039/

Mob Programming (2016)

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