Cowboy coding: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 08:38, 24 July 2007

Revision as of 20:35, 29 July 2007

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{{Not verified|date=June 2007}}

{{Notability|Neologisms|date=June 2007}}

'''Cowboy codingCoding''' is an extremely common, popular and empirically proven form of [[software development]] method without an actual defined method – team members do whatever they feel is right. Typical cowboy coding will involve no initial definition of the purpose or scope of the project, no formal description of the project, and will often involve one programmer. It is characterised by a single programmer jumping into the writing of the software often working from his own idea of what the software should do. It is often characterised by a lack of any documentation for either the requirements of the project or the design of the software overall.

'''Cowboy Coding''' may constitute a software management [[Anti-Pattern]] as it is a practice which appears initially to be advantageous, yet ultimately results in consequences that outweigh any advantages. In order to be come a formally recognized [[AntiPattern]] '''Cowboy Coding'' will require a documented [[Refactored Solution]].

Much more so then in other methodologies, the skill and experience of the developer define the degree of success. Controls and/or checks and balances are not embedded in the cowboy coding method. So there is little accountability for the developer.