Cowboy coding: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 07:26, 12 July 2006

Revision as of 21:07, 4 August 2006

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'''Cowboy coding''' is a 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 also characterised by a lack of any documentation for either the requirements of the project or the design of the software overall.

As with all methodologies, the skill and experience of the user(s) define the degree of success and/or abuse of such activity. The greater the controlsControls and/or checks and balances systematically imbedded within a process, offersoffer stronger levels of accountability of the user(s). It is the degradation of well intended procedures which leadleads to activities often defined as Cowboy coding.

Both lightweight and heavy weighted methodologies of today still lead to this breakdown as the user(s) attempts to facilitateoperate within social/political environments within organizations. The probability of this breakdown can be directly correlated to the degree of processes inhibiting the risk of user(s) from deviating from the organization standard, however at the potential cost of efficiency.

The ideology of Software Development Best Practices has established a fervor of religious debates.