COC: context over code, coaching pattern Series

Code is cheap, show me the talk. -- from Li Yan.

Mode name

• COC, context over code

Intention

• By explaining background issues and history, rather than the current solution, new users (new pair) can quickly and thoroughly understand the current code.

Motivation

When a new person joins the project to start pair, or exchanges pair, the person behind feature will be responsible for explaining the current design and code to the new pair. A bad smell is that the people left behind tend to rush to start coding, and the grass will take the new person through the code to start a new task. we can use the pairing mode of navigator/observer to reduce the difficulty for new users to write code. The new users have a rough understanding of the Code and long-lasting confusion will always affect the efficiency and design quality. this effect is more obvious in the following situations:

• The software functions become more and more powerful, and the built-in business logic/corner case become more and more. The ability to express existing code cannot directly map high-level requirements to the underlying implementation, that is, it is difficult to see from the Code the intention of "why is this done"
• When pair is exchanged between two relatively independent feature teams
• When a new employee joins the project team and starts coding

At this time, we need better coaching skills

Solution

Only by penetrating the fog of history can we see the status quo. In terms of describing history, natural language is more efficient than the log of programming languages and version control systems, and stories are more appealing than code updates.

Let's talk about the previous story and the constraints and many optional solutions. The Code only has the final design decisions, but does not have the design constraints. extend the five-minute introduction to a half-hour chat. you can ask new people questions. What do you do when you encounter such constraints? After you did this, you introduced other questions. How can you improve it? Guide new users to export their own designs, which naturally solves the problem of understanding.

Known applications

I believe that many teams are using it. When we were working on CWP IAS plaform, we spent about 1/4 to 1/3 of the entire development process on context.

Related Mode

• SOS, story over solution. This model also emphasizes storytelling, but its intention is to reduce the resistance of team members to some new changes and guide others to accept changes.