What is extreme programming?

What is extreme programming?

August 23, 2022

This Website uses cookies

When the Internet first started to take off in the 1990s, software development had to shift. Businesses needed to drastically shorten the software development life cycle if their success depended on how quickly they could expand and promote their products. This setting inspired Kent Beck to develop extreme programming (XP).


Defining extreme programming


Extreme programming is a software development process that is included in agile methodologies. Aiming to enable small to mid-sized teams to generate high-quality software and adapt to changing requirements, XP is based on values, principles, and practices.

The fact that XP places a strong emphasis on the technical components of software development sets it apart from other agile techniques. Extreme programming is specific to how engineers operate because doing so enables teams to produce high-quality code at a rate that is sustainable.

In a nutshell, extreme programming is about taking excellent practices to the limit. Let’s pair programmes constantly because it’s beneficial. Let’s test before the production code is even written because early testing is beneficial.

In contrast to other approaches, XP has strong opinions about how engineering should be done. XP is based on principles and values in addition to practices.


XP values


XP is more than simply a set of procedures for managing projects; it follows a set of values that will make it easier for your team to operate more quickly and effectively together.

Simplicity: Teams complete the task at hand and nothing more. With XP, team members are given smaller, more manageable objectives to complete for each phase of a larger process.

Communication: Teams collaborate on all aspects of the project, from requirement gathering to writing code to attending daily stand-up sessions to update one another. Any issues or worries are resolved right away.

Feedback: Teams in XP adjust their processes to fit the needs of the project and the customer, not the other way around. To get consumer input and make the necessary adjustments, the team should frequently and early display their programme.

Respect: Extreme programming promotes the idea of “all for one and one for all.” Regardless of position on the team, everyone is valued for their efforts. Customers’ opinions are respected by the staff, and vice versa.

Courage: Team members accept responsibility for their job and adjust to changes as they happen. There are no “white lies” or justifications for failure to try to make people feel better; they are honest about their progress. They prioritise teamwork over ego and are constantly thinking of the team’s best interests.


XP principles


Principles offer more detailed instructions than values. They are concepts that shed light on the values, making them clearer and less ambiguous.

Quick feedback: Team members immediately respond to feedback after interpreting it.

Assumed simplicity: Developers should conform to the YAGNI (You Ain’t Gonna Need It) and DRY (Don’t Repeat Yourself) principles and concentrate on the task at hand.

Incremental changes: Adjustments that are implemented gradually rather than all at once are more effective.

Accepting change: Programmers should back a client’s opinion that a product has to be modified and prepare to implement any necessary changes.

Quality work: An effective team produces a good quality product and is pleased with its work.


XP practices


The XP practises are a set of guidelines and procedures that set it apart from other methodologies. When combined, they strengthen one another, aid in reducing development process risks, and produce the desired high-quality outcome. When creating software, XP advises following twelve practises that can be categorised into four areas. These four groups are:

Feedback; is composed of Test-Driven Development, The Planning Game, On-site Customer, and Pair Programming.

Continual process; is composed of Continuous Integration, Small Releases, and Code Refactoring.

Code understanding; is composed of Simple Design, Collective Code Ownership, Coding Standards, and System Metaphor.

And last but not least, Work conditions, which are composed by a 40-Hour Week.


XP VS other methodologies


Extreme programming VS traditional, non-agile methodologies

As a component of agile, extreme programming emphasises accepting change rather than sticking to set plans. Instead of a large design up front, it’s about incremental design. The primary way that XP differentiates from conventional techniques is by eliminating lengthy phases. In XP, there is no planning phase; planning occurs at the beginning of each development cycle, which typically lasts only one week. You test your application as soon as you can before the real code is implemented, as opposed to testing episodes. You work in small chunks and integrate those chunks as frequently as you can rather than building features in isolation over the course of extended implementation phases and then struggling to merge your contributions to the main line.

Extreme programming VS other agile methodologies

By its very nature, extreme programming is different from the other agile approaches while simultaneously sharing many similarities with them. The majority of other development techniques state very little, if anything, about how to conduct the work. On the other hand, XP has strong opinions about it and emphasises software engineering best practices.



In sum, the extreme programming methodology can be beneficial and help reduce development time and costs. If this is a framework that you feel would suit your business model, then maybe it’s time to find the right professionals to work on it. Consider PrimeIT as the partner you need to upgrade your business and its working method.