Extreme Programming - XP

CORE DEFINITION

Extreme Programming (XP) is a software engineering methodology and a form of agile software development. Like other agile methodologies, its fundamental difference from traditional methodologies lies in its emphasis on adaptability over predictability. Proponents of Extreme Programming believe that constant changes in software requirements are a natural phenomenon, inevitable and to be embraced in software project development. They believe that, compared with traditional methods that define all requirements at the start and then strive to control changes, having the ability to adapt to changes at any stage of the project lifecycle is a more realistic and effective approach. Extreme Programming provides managers and developers with a recipe for guiding daily practices; this practice means accepting and encouraging certain particularly valuable methods. Proponents believe that these practices, which are considered 'extreme' in traditional software engineering, will enable the development process to respond to user needs better than traditional methods, thus being more agile and building higher-quality software.