Egoless programming: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Computer development technique}}

'''Egoless programming''' is a style of [[computer programming]] in which personal factors are minimized so that quality may be improved. The [[cooperative]] methods suggested are similar to those used by other [[collective]] ventures such as [[Wikipedia]].

==History==

The concept was first propounded by [[Gerald M. Weinberg]] in his seminal1971 book of 1971, ''The Psychology of Computer Programming''.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=76dIAAAAMAAJ | title=The Psychology of Computer Programming | publisher=Van Nostrand Reinhold | year=1971 | last=Weinberg | first=Gerald M.| isbn=9780442207649 }}</ref>

[[Richard Stallman]] cited egoless programming as the basis for the 2015 [[April Fools Day]] joke announcement for Yellow Hat [[GNU|GNU/Linux]].<ref>{{cite web|title="Yellow Hat" at stallman.org|url=https://www.stallman.org/articles/yellow-hat.html}}</ref>

==Peer reviews of code==

To ensure quality, reviews of code by other programmers are made. The concept of ''egoless programming'' emphasises that such reviews should be made in a friendly, collegial way in which personal feelings are put aside. [[Software walkthrough|Structured walkthrough]]s are one way of making such a formal review.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d7BQAAAAMAAJ | title=Peer Reviews in Software: A Practical Guide | publisher=Addison-Wesley | year=2001 | page=14 | isbn= 978-0-201-73485-0 | last=Wiegers | first=Karl Eugene}}</ref>

==Strengths==

* Works best for complex tasks. ('difficult' used in <ref name="mantei1981"/>)

* Open communication channels allow information to flow freely to team members

* Greater conformity that helps in consistent documentation

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==Weaknesses==

* Projects take a longer time to complete.<ref name="mantei1981">{{cite journal | url=http://sunnyday.mit.edu/16.355/mantei-teams.pdf | title=The Effect of Programming Team Structures on Programming Tasks | last=Mantei | journal=Communications of the ACM |date=March 1981 | volume=24 | issue=3 | pages=106–113 | first=Marilyn | doi=10.1145/358568.358571| s2cid=207907944 }}</ref>

* Projects experience a higher failure rate due to the decentralized nature of and volume of communication between members of the team.<ref name="mantei1981">{{cite journal | url=http://sunnyday.mit.edu/16.355/mantei-teams.pdf | title=The Effect of Programming Team Structures on Programming Tasks | last=Mantei | journal=Communications of the ACM |date=March 1981 | volume=24 | issue=3 | pages=106–113 | first=Marilyn | doi=10.1145/358568.358571| s2cid=207907944 }}</ref>

* Risky shift phenomenon{{snd}} Programmers attempt riskier solutions to solve a software problem.<ref name="mantei1981">{{cite journal | url=http://sunnyday.mit.edu/16.355/mantei-teams.pdf | title=The Effect of Programming Team Structures on Programming Tasks | last=Mantei | journal=Communications of the ACM |date=March 1981 | volume=24 | issue=3 | pages=106–113 | first=Marilyn | doi=10.1145/358568.358571| s2cid=207907944 }}</ref>

* Simple tasks are made more difficult by open communication channels.{{Clarify|date=February 2020}}{{citation needed|date=June 2014}}

Note: The single paper cited <ref name="mantei1981"/> for 'Strengths & Weaknesses' is from 1981 and says in its conclusions:

<blockquote>Most of the research on group problem-solving behavior was conducted in a laboratory setting with students and tasks of short duration.</blockquote>

<blockquote>None of these task/structure recommendations have been tested in a software development environment.</blockquote>

==Rival concepts==

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==See also==

* [[List of software development philosophies]]

* [[Egolessness]]

*[[Software review]]

* [[Egolessness]]

==References==