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Tools, Frameworks and Libraries: the Devil's work or Manna from Heaven?

Sat, 2007-12-08 16:37 — Mike Hill (reviewer)
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room: Sheraton Hall A, LC — time: Wednesday 10:30-12:00
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What happens when you put together a team of Agile folks and get them to decide which tools, frameworks and libraries they’ll need to do the job? Will we get (a) a happy consensus reached by rational argument, or (b) a never-ending irrational argument about which automated testing frameworks to use? We’re not sure, but in this workshop we’ll try to find out. We look forward to hearing about your own experience and what you think is most important.

In this session, we want the attendees to argue amongst themselves (in small groups) about what’s important to consider when choosing tools, frameworks and libraries for a fictitious greenfield project. We want attendees to share their own experience, and listen and learn from others.

We want to delve into questions about the tools we use:

  • What’s most important to avoid?
  • What’s important to look for?
  • What’s not important at all?

And, for Agile, iterative projects:

  • When is it simpler to use an additional tool/framework/library?
  • When is it appropriate to choose to use a framework today because it will probably be useful in the future?
Process/Mechanics

  1. Get attendees to write their “index card CV”

  2. Brainstorm what tools, frameworks and libraries have you used or been forced to use in the past year. Get people to write up on coloured sticky notes post onto a large wall. (15 mins). During the remainder of the session whilst attendees are working in teams, the presenter(s) will affinity-group the sticky notes ready for the final plenary section.

  3. Divide people into teams (based on their CVs). Teams will be assigned an application to build (with the session leaders acting as the customer), e.g. Web 2.0 social networking site, or 50-user business GUI application etc. (5 mins)

  4. Groups brainstorm the set of tools, frameworks and libraries that they want to consider using for their project. (20 mins)

  5. Groups further narrow down their choices towards what’s most/least important (15 mins)

  6. Groups now reflect on the previous section. In cases where there was consensus, why was this? In cases where there was uncertainty or disagreement, why was this? (15 mins)

  7. As a whole, retrospect and review the affinity grouping (15 minutes) - what are the common features of the favourites? what are the common features of the least important? what disagreements did you have? why?