Cowboy coding: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Derogatory term in software development}}

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'''Cowboy coding''' is a derogatory term used to describe [[software development]] where the developersprogrammers have [[autonomy]] over the development process. This includes control of the project's schedule, languages, algorithms, tools, frameworks and coding style. Typically, little to no coordination exists with other developers or stakeholders.

A cowboy coder can be a lone developer or part of a group of developers working with eitherminimal noprocess externalor managementdiscipline.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Scott |first1=Welker |title=cowboy coding |url=https://searchsoftwarequality.techtarget.com/definition/cowboy-coding |website=searchsoftwarequality |publisher=TechTarget |access-date=2 March 2022}}</ref> Usually it occurs when there is little participation by business users, or fanned by management that controls only non-development aspects of the project, such as itsthe broad targets, naturetimelines, scope, and feature setvisuals (the "what", but not the "how").{{Citation needed|date=January 2011}}

"Cowboy coding can have positive or negative [[connotations]], depending on one's opinions on the role of management and formal process in software development; "cowboy coding" iscommonly oftensees usedusage as a [[pejorative|derogatory]] term bywhen supporterscontrasted ofwith softwaremore development methodologies, such asstructured [[Agilesoftware development methodology|software development|Agile methodologies]].

==Disadvantages ==

== Examples of cowboy coding ==

In cowboy coding, the lack of formal [[software project management]] methodologies may be indicative (though not necessarily) of a project's small size or experimental nature.<ref>Hughes, Bob and Cotterell, Mike (2006). ''Software Project Management'', pp.283-289. McGraw Hill Education, Berkshire. {{ISBN|0-07-710989-9}}</ref> Software projects with these attributes may exhibit:

* [http://web.archive.org/web/20070717193315/http://siliconuser.com/?q=node/10 How Adobe's Photoshop Was Born]

* [http://httpd.apache.org/ABOUT_APACHE.html About Apache HTTP Server]

* [http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/jul/25/media.newmedia A brief history of Facebook]

* [[History of Google#Early_history|Early history of Google]]

* [http://www.pacifict.com/Story/ The Graphing Calculator Story]

* [http://netfiles.uiuc.edu/rhasan/linux/#New%20Baby%20in%20the%20Horizon History of Linux]

* [http://blogs.sun.com/TechDaysEvents/entry/the_mysql_story The MySQL Story]

* [http://folklore.org/StoryView.py?story=Switcher.txt Switcher: The Macintosh's first multi-tasking environment]

===Lack of release structure===

== External links ==

Lack of [[estimation (project management)|estimation]] or implementation planning might cause a project to be delayed. Sudden deadlines or pushes to release software may encourage the use of "quick and dirty" techniques that will require further attention later.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.stickyminds.com/sites/default/files/presentation/file/2013/09BSOFR_W7.pdf |title=In Defense of Waterfall: Deconstructing the Agile Manifesto |accessdate=February 1, 2016}}</ref>

* [http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?CowboyCoder Cowboy Coder] definition at Wards Wiki

* [http://cowboyprogramming.com/2007/01/11/delving-into-cowboy-programming/ Delving into Cowboy Programming]

===Inexperienced developers===

Cowboy coding can be common at the hobbyist or student level where developers might initially be unfamiliar with the technologies, such as testing, version control and/or build tools, usually more than just the basic coding a software project requires.

This can result in underestimating time required for learning, causing delays in the development process. Inexperience might also lead to disregard of accepted [[Standard operating procedure#Information technology industry use|standards]], making the project source difficult to read or causing conflicts between the [[Semantics#Computer science|semantics]] of the language constructs and the result of their output.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stickyminds.com/presentation/stareast-2000-confessions-recovering-coding-cowboy|title=StickyMinds - STAREAST 2000: Confessions of a (Recovering) Coding Cowboy|work=StickyMinds|accessdate=February 2, 2016}}</ref>

===Uncertain design requirements===

Custom software applications, even when using a proven development cycle, can experience problems with the client concerning requirements. Cowboy coding can accentuate this problem by not scaling the requirements to a reasonable timeline, and might result in unused or unusable components being created before the project is finished. Similarly, projects with less tangible clients (often experimental projects, see [[independent game development]]) could begin with code and never a formal analysis of the design requirements. Lack of design analysis could lead to incorrect or insufficient technology choices, possibly requiring the developer to [[porting|port]] or rewrite their software in order for the project to be completed.

===Incompleteness===

Many software development models, such as [[Extreme Programming]], use an incremental approach which stresses that the software must be releasable at the end of each iteration. Non-managed projects may have few [[unit testing|unit tests]] or working iterations, leaving an incomplete project unusable. As such, agile methodologies have been compared to cowboy coding but agile has formal processes, procedures, measurement, project management and other oversight while cowboy coding has none of this.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.stickyminds.com/sites/default/files/article/file/2013/XUS22546409file1_0.doc |title=Exploring Agile Development | work=Pragmatic Software Newsletter |issue=March 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stickyminds.com/better-software-magazine/dont-just-break-software-make-software|title=StickyMinds - Don't Just Break Software. Make Software|work=StickyMinds|accessdate=February 2, 2016}}</ref>

==Advantages==

* Developers maintain a free-form working environment that may encourage experimentation, learning, and free distribution of results.

* It allows developers to cross architectural and/or tiered boundaries to resolve design limitations and defects.

* As discussing architectures, writing specifications and reviewing the code all take their time, a single developer (if sufficient) may well produce a working application faster by cowboy coding. Tasks like research or prototyping may not require the code quality more complex methods provide.

* Since coding can be done during the developer's free time, a project could come to fruition which otherwise wouldn't have.<ref>K, Alex. [https://googleblog.blogspot.com/2006/05/googles-20-percent-time-in-action.html "Google's '20 percent time' in action"], Official Google Blog, May 18, 2006</ref>

==See also==

* [[Hacker (programmer subculture)|Hacker]], a subculture that relies on the creativity of individual programmers

* [[Code monkey (disambiguation)|Code monkey]], a pejorative term for programmers who are employed to write simple or repetitive code

* [[Self-employment]]

* [[Indie game development]]

* {{Section link|Cowboy|Negative associations}}

==References==

<references/>

== External links ==

* [http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?CowboyCoder Cowboy Coder] definition at Wards[[Ward Cunningham|Ward's]] Wiki

* [http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?CowboyCoding Cowboy Coding] definition at [[Ward Cunningham|Ward's]] Wiki

* {{cite web|url=http://cowboyprogramming.com/2007/01/11/delving-into-cowboy-programming/|title=Delving into Cowboy Programming|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190323115724/http://cowboyprogramming.com/2007/01/11/delving-into-cowboy-programming/|archivedate=2019-03-23}}

{{independent media}}

[[Category:Software development philosophies]]

[[Category:Computer programming folklore]]

[[Category:Software engineering folklore]]