Crappy Driven-Development (CDD)

Let's learn a new development practice : Crappy-Driven Development. The secret art of making yourself indispensable by writing crappy code !!!

Kata

In small groups / mob :

• Choose a code in a language you want to work with (C#, java, scala)
• Your objective : Apply CDD to make the code so crappy that other groups won't be able to understand it
  • Follow the golden rules described below
  • Make it in Baby steps (crappy 1 thing at a time)
• You have 30 minutes to make as many cycles as possible :
  • Make it in mob
  • Be creative
  • The more brainfuck it is the better
  • Tests are green before and at the end of your refactoring

Mob roles

I recommend to use mobtime and configure below roles :

• Turn Duration : 5 minutes
• Create the 4 roles presented below

Driver

• Write the code according to the navigator's specification
• Listen intently to the navigators instructions
• Ask questions wherever there is a lack of clarity

Navigator

• Dictates the code that is to be written - the 'what'
• Clearly communicates what code to write
• Explains 'why' they have chosen the particular solution to this problem
• Check for syntax / type errors as the Driver drives

Scribe

• Write down the goals of each cycle in mobtime
• Explain why it has been decided

Crappier

• Anticipate what can be crappier
• Write down ideas that emerge in his/he mind and other ideas as well

Review

At the end of the 30 minutes period :

• Each mob presents the new version of the production code
• Other groups have 2 minutes to identify what is implemented

Reflect

Take a few minutes to reflect and ask questions :

• Based on your mob refactoring list, which patterns did you observe recently in your codebase ?
• What did you learn from this kata ?
• How this practice can be applied in your current context ? 😜

Why this kata ?

• By having a reversed reflexion (How can I make my code the crappiest possible), people think outside of the box
• The list of implemented crappy refactoring serve as an anti-patterns list :
  • All the code smells they must avoid in their own code
  • Stuff to fight against
• Learn Mob Programming
• Practice automated refactoring : rename, move, extract, ...
• Because it's fun 😊