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what are some benefits of pair-programming

by Ola Lubowitz Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
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The benefits of pair programming

  1. Increasing efficiency. Most studies on the effectiveness of pair programming confirm that it has a very positive effect on the programmers’ productivity.
  2. Reducing errors. Due to the fact that two people take care of the quality of the code, the risk of errors is significantly reduced.
  3. The ability to share knowledge. It’s not surprising that pair programming is particularly beneficial for beginner programmers who can work with more experienced colleagues.
  4. Support in the onboarding process. You can also use pair programming when you want to show your new employees your way of working and the projects you participate in.
  5. An effective recruitment method. Pair programming is a good solution not only for efficient implementation of IT projects. ...

Pair Programming Benefits
  • Increased discipline. Pairing partners are more likely to "do the right thing" and are less likely to take long breaks. ...
  • Better code. ...
  • Resilient flow. ...
  • Improved morale. ...
  • Collective code ownership. ...
  • Mentoring. ...
  • Team cohesion. ...
  • Fewer interruptions.

What are the pros and cons of pair programming?

It may sound a little weird, but it does have pros and cons. Pair Programming is credited with a variety of benefits. Code Quality Pairs of developers are more likely to catch problems with code quality while working together. While the driver is focused on writing the code, the navigator is free to think about the style and function.

What are the advantages of having two programmers in a project?

More efficient. Common thinking is that it slows down the project completion time because you are effectively putting two programmers to develop a single program, instead of having them work independently on two different programs.

What are the advantages of having a co-programmer?

Fewer coding mistakes. Because there is another programmer looking over your work, it results in better code. In fact, an earlier study shows that it results in 15% fewer bugs than code written by solo programmers.

What are the advantages of a team-based approach to programming?

In fact, an earlier study shows that it results in 15% fewer bugs than code written by solo programmers. Plus, it allows the driver to remain focus on the code being written while the other attends to external matters or interruption. An effective way to share knowledge.

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What are four benefits of pair programming?

The Pros of Pair ProgrammingFewer mistakes and bugs. Software developers usually work alone, which can cause negative traits like stubbornness and tunnel vision. ... Greater resiliency. The “bus factor” should be a concern for all mature software development teams. ... Increased code quality. ... Faster training. ... Improved team morale.

What are 3 benefits of using the pair programming technique?

Pair Programming AdvantagesTwo heads are better than one. If the driver encounters a hitch with the code, there will be two of them who'll solve the problem.More efficient. ... Fewer coding mistakes. ... An effective way to share knowledge. ... Develops your staff's interpersonal skills.

What are some benefits of pair programming quizlet?

-Pair programming produces higher quality code and it produces it faster. "Good full time pair programmers consistently produce higher-quality code faster.

What are the 6 reasons for pair programming?

Let's take a look!Greater efficiency. It is a common misconception that pair programming takes a lot longer and is less efficient. ... Engaged collaboration. ... Learning from fellow students. ... Social skills. ... Job interview readiness. ... Work environment readiness.

How effective is pair programming?

They found that for a development-time cost of about 15%, pair programming improves design quality, reduces defects, reduces staffing risk, enhances technical skills, improves team communications and is considered more enjoyable at statistically significant levels.

What is an example of pair programming?

Below are two examples of pair programming techniques: (1) Pomodoro pairing. A timer is set for 25 minutes, where one person is the driver and the other the navigator. Every 25 minutes, you have a short break and switch roles.

What are the advantages and challenges of pair programming quizlet?

What are the advantages and challenges of pair programming? Advantages to pair programming is working together to solve a problem. One person helps direct the controller. Some challenges of pair programming is when the navigator does not know how to direct the driver because they might not understand the instructions.

What is pair programming quizlet?

pair programming. simple, straightforward concept. Two programmers work side-by-side at one computer, continuously collaborating on the same design, algorithm, code, and test. It allows two people to produce a higher quality of code than that produced by the summation of their solitary efforts.

What are the advantages and benefits of using loops in an algorithm?

What are the advantages and benefits of using loops in an algorithm? Loops make it unnecessary to repeat a process in an algorithm. Instead, variables can help control the number of times something occurs, making the program more dynamic based on user input.

Why do industries use paired programming?

The most important reason is that pair programming helps define the company culture, as it can help establish a sense of teamwork and accountability, which are critical for young, fast-growing companies. It boils down to the idea that software development is about people.

Where is pair programming used?

Pair programming is a great solution whenever you need to do a complex ticket, speed up an important ticket, train a new dev, help or be helped by another dev on a technical issue, get past a dependency bottleneck in a sprint, share knowledge in the dev team, or conduct a technical interview.

Why is pair programming better than code reviewing?

Pair programming would help when the brain power of two developers is needed to solve a problem or some technical skills have to be transferred. Code review would ensure that the code produced by developers “looks good”, is correct, and can be understood by each team member.

What is a pair of code?

Pair Programming, also called pair coding or just “pairing,” turns software development into a team effort. Instead of one person writing code, two people collaborate in real time. One developer, the “driver,” has his/her hands on the keyboard and actually writes the code. The driver speaks as she works, sharing her thinking in real time.

What to do when pairing a team?

If your team is considering pairing, there are several steps you can take to prepare. The first thing to do is talk about it as a team. If the team consensus leans toward a lot of discomfort, a large-scale trial of pairing is probably not a good idea.

Why are Bob and Jody so good?

Bob and Jody make a great pair because they understand each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Jody drives more often because she likes to speak while coding. However, she knows that she has a tendency to overwhelm the process. She tries to be mindful of this, and make sure Bob remains engaged by asking questions.

How often do you swap pairs?

As you try pairing, experiment with different modes and pair combinations. Some pairs stick together for a week or more, others swap every day. Some developers may prefer the driver or navigator role, or prefer to switch back and forth depending on the situation.

Can two developers be swayed?

Reluctant developers may be swayed, at least to try it, after hearing about direct experiences from colleagues. Your physical workspaces can be configured to be pairing-friendly. Two developers, crammed into a typical one-person cube with a curved space for the computer, is a very uncomfortable configuration.

Is team fit good for every personality?

Team Fit The high-intensity communication of pair programming is not a good fit for every personality. Drivers are supposed to “develop out loud,” speaking as they write code. Introverts may not be keen on the idea of sitting, literally shoulder-to-shoulder, with a colleague for six to eight hours a day.

Is pair programming new?

Pair programming isn’t new , but it is often associated with the Extreme Programming (XP) movement. If you are a developer, and you’ve never tried pair programming, this may seem a little strange, perhaps even off-putting. Pair programming is quite different from solo programming. It may sound a little weird, but it does have pros and cons.

A shorter, high quality code

The main benefit of pair programming is undoubtedly the quality of code that will come out of a session.

Less maintenance code

In 2009, William Malik, at the time research director at Gartner, calculated that 40% of all system crashes are software related, and that those crashes take longer than hardware related ones to be fixed.

Faster training of new team members

It is common knowledge that a new engineer will need several months to fully get up to speed after their onboarding.

Happier employees

Last but certainly not least, why not use pair programming as a way to get to know better the brilliant individuals you work alongside everyday, and enjoy the process at the same time? Reluctances to start pair programming may be high, but according to several surveys conducted by pair programmers, it definitely is worth a shot.

What is a pair of programming?

Pair programming is where two developers work together on the same programming/coding task while sitting next to each other, and most importantly of all, they work on one computer only. It is a widely used methodology in software development; according to Stack Overflow Insights 2018, pair programming is used by 28.4 percent of all respondents. Typically the pairing setup will include two sets of keyboards, two mice and either one screen or two screens which are mirrored.

What is novice expert pairing?

The first is when one person in the pair is a lot more experienced and willing to teach. This is typically called the novice-expert pairing. There are some great benefits with this pairing. The obvious benefit is that there is the sharing of context and distribution of knowledge within the team.

Velocity

Before we started pairing, our team was doing around 40 points every two-week sprint for our velocity. We knew going into it that we were effectively cutting the development team in half, so our velocity was going to take a big hit. It worried us a bit, as our business owner was not going to like a lower velocity.

Training

A huge benefit we gained that we didn’t even think about was how pairing would affect onboarding of new developers. When new developers were brought onto the team, we had all the usual things to help them out, including developer onboarding guides to get their machines set up with all the software and tools they would need.

Quality

The majorly touted benefit of pairing is the quality it brings to the software the team produces. We always stressed code reviews, unit testing, and documentation before pairing. Sadly, it almost always fell by the wayside. Again, the pairing brought accountability to this effort. We now had 100 percent code reviews on all code being written.

Technical Debt

Before we started pairing, we had a team architect. He designed the architecture, got the developers’ buy-in, and ensured we were following the standards in using it when we developed stories. The team was still rather small, so it was easier to ensure we stuck to the software design.

Conclusion

Negatives to pairing did come up in the retrospective. One included senior developers feeling they had to slow down when paired with junior developers. Some of the developers have a hard time expressing vocally the thoughts they have running through their heads about the problem at hand.

Benefits of Pair Programming

Oyeleke Ayomide explains some of the benefits of pair programming. Pair programming involves two engineers writing code for the same task at the same time on a single computer.

Code Reviews

As pair programming involves 2 engineers writing code for the same task at the same time on a single computer the code is reviewed on the go. As the driver is writing code, the navigator is reviewing it in real-time and also thinking about any design, architecture related issues, and possible bugs.

Knowledge Transfer

This is probably a very underrated benefit of pair programming. While pair programming you observe the other software engineer and learn lots of things on the go. While you are on the go you pick up how the other engineer uses keyboard shortcuts or tools that you were not aware of.

It is a great on-boarding for new members

Pair programming can be one of the tools to make your company’s and team’s on-boarding process for software engineers even better. If new team members can have a good session of pair programming with one of the experienced team members they will get to know the ins and outs of the system much faster and hands-on.

Outright Solutions to Problems

Sometimes you can’t do your task because it is blocked by another task being done by one of the software engineers in your team. Rather than waiting for the software engineer to finish that task, you can help them accomplish it through pair programming. In the end, its the team’s achievement or goals that matter more than individual ones.

Improves productivity and knowledge

When two people pair program on a certain task as they say two heads are better than one, I think it is a more productive episode of work. If the driver encounters a road bump the navigator can help solve the issue. On top of that, it can really help to share knowledge about parts of the system the other software engineer is not much aware of.

Conclusion

Pair-programming might seem a little strange if it is something you have never tried out before and it involves a lot of communication among team members and between partners but as you try pairing, experiment with different modes and pair combinations. Some pairs stick together for a week or more, others swap every day.

What is pair programming?

Pair programming is believed to be an agile software development technique where two people write code together on a single machine. It is automatically a very collaborative and learning experience. There is a lot of communication between the pair as they need to plan and discuss the code on the fly.

Styles of pair programming

There are multiple styles of pair programming, I think the most popular one is “Driver and Navigator”. I have done this style of pair programming with my seniors as well as software engineers less experienced than me. Below is a quick rundown of the styles.

The benefits

Software engineering is a team sport. Same as while playing sports, even in software engineering if one member of the team is injured or not performing well the whole team comes together to help that member. In this particular case, we are more interested in the pair working together well to come to a better solution than one person doing it.

The Cons

Of course, pair programming is not all rosy, there are downsides to it. Some of the challenges associated with pair programming are the exhaustion related to it. Paring forces you to be focused for longer periods of time, find common ground, and share a good wavelength with the other software engineer. This is intense and gets you tired quickly.

Conclusion

A study done at the University of Utah about costs and benefits of pair programming summarizes that while pair programming many mistakes are caught as they are typed than a later stage. It also highlights that designs are better and code length is shorter among other findings.

How effective is pairing programming?

Pair programming is most effective when it is done by “programming out loud.” The driver should be vocal about the decisions that are being made. If the driver is silent, the navigator should intervene.

What is pair programming?

Pair programming, as the name implies, is when two developers work together on the same piece of code on one machine. There are many different strategies when it comes to pair programming.

Why do you pair an experienced developer with a less experienced developer?

As previously described, pairing an experienced developer with a less experienced developer is a great way to improve for the less experienced developer. This combination can bring a lot of new ideas since the less experienced developer is more likely to question established practices. Since the experienced developer has to explain these established practices, this developer is also more likely to question them.

What happens when two developers work on the same problem?

When two developers work on the same problem, less time is spent figuring out a possible solution when a hiccup appears. Chances are one of the two developers already knows how to fix the problem from previous experience.

Why should developers be vocal?

Since developers should be vocal about the decisions that are being made, giving feedback or suggesting a certain solution can be done at any point during the session. This is a great way to learn how other developers think about solving certain problems.

Is pair programming good for everyone?

Although pair programming could be really beneficial for your team, it’s not for everyone. And when pair programming is not done correctly, it can be an ineffective use of resources.

Can you have two less experienced developers?

Two less experienced developers forming a pair can significantly improve the end result of a piece of code, though in most cases this isn’t the preferred situation. It is harder for less experienced developers to come up with a good solution without the help of a more experienced developer acting as a sort of role model.

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What Is Pair Programming?

The Advantages of Pair Programming

  • Pair Programming is credited with a variety of benefits. Code QualityPairs of developers are more likely to catch problems with code quality while working together. While the driver is focused on writing the code, the navigator is free to think about the style and function. Code quality standards tend to be followed more consistently when developer...
See more on raygun.com

The Disadvantages of Pair Programming

  • Pair programming has benefits, but it’s not a panacea, and it’s not for everyone. Higher CostsIt follows logically that two developers using one keyboard multiplies development costs. Studies have shown a 15% - 100% increase in baseline development costs. While these costs may be offset at least in part by increased quality and less rework, teams considering pairing must acco…
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Getting Started: Pair Programming Tips

  • If your team is considering pairing, there are several steps you can take to prepare. The first thing to do is talk about it as a team. If the team consensus leans toward a lot of discomfort, a large-scale trial of pairing is probably not a good idea. Start small with developers that are willing to try it out, then let them share their experiences. Reluctant developers may be swayed, at least to try …
See more on raygun.com

Pair Programming Examples

  • Here are two example scenarios for pairing: Example 1: Two Experienced DevelopersBob and Jody are both senior developers for ACME Corp. They have been with the company for about the same length of time, and have similar levels of experience in software development. Jody is gregarious and talkative. Bob is more reserved, and struggles with speaking while driving. Bob a…
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