Building Stronger Teams with Pair Programming
Two people working together on a single computer create all code to be sent into production. Pair programming increases software quality without impacting the time to deliver. It is counter-intuitive, but two people working at a single computer will add as much functionality as two workings separately, except it will be much higher in quality. With an increased rate comes significant savings later in the project.
The best way to pair programs is to sit side by side in front of the monitor. Slide the keyboard and mouse back and forth. Both programmers concentrate on the code being written.
Pair programming is a social skill that takes time to learn. You strive for a cooperative way to work that includes give and take from both partners regardless of corporate status. The best pair programmers know when to say, “Let’s try your idea first.” Don’t expect people to be good at it from the start. It helps if you have someone on your team with experience to show everyone what it should feel like.
One thing pair programming is not is mentoring. A teacher-student relationship feels very different from two people working together as equals, even if one has significantly more experience. Getting used to pair programming takes time, so don’t worry if it feels awkward at first.
The original article’s link is http://www.extremeprogramming.org/rules/pair.html