It’s easy to think of programming as a solitary task… one person with one computer. This approach makes sense considering the logic being developed requires a detailed plan and incredible focus. But when one person is solely responsible a given feature, the code they write is often limited by their experience and rarely covers all cases. To close these gaps, a technology manager is inserted into the process.
At least, this is the way it’s always been…but is there a better way?
A new concept has emerged and promises to not only reduce errors but elevate the skillset of all technical team members. It’s called Pair Programming. One person does the actual writing, or coding, and the other person checks it, corrects it and offers suggestions while it’s being written. Programmers, or software developers, refer to these roles as driver and navigator. More details can be found in this NYTimes article.
While we haven’t completely adopted this new method of working, we have begun to incorporate pair programming into our client experience. Beyond training marketing staff to use their new Content Management System we’ve also offered up pair programming sessions to seamlessly transfer our knowledge of the system to in-house technical staff.
