eXtreme .NET

Description

In a major shift from the past, Microsoft has been encouraging developers whouse Visual Studio to pay attention to software architecture and softwaredevelopment methodologies. One methodology which is well-suited to the waythat many Microsoft development teams work is eXtreme Programming. Manydevelopers using VB and C# admire its flexibility, its emphasis on testing, andthe idea of developing in small teams. While they have been trying to pick upthe XP techniques from the general books on XP and Agile, there is a dearth ofinformation to help them apply the Agile techniques in a Microsoft setting.Extreme .NET is the first book to provide a complete and practical guide tousing eXtreme Programming with .NET. The author is well regarded in boththe XP and .NET communities. He uses extensive case studies and real worldexamples to illustrate best practices throughout the book, and provides manyhands-on exercises so that readers make sure they have learned the concepts.The book concludes with a chapter on step-by-step development that will puttogether all the practices taught in the book to develop a piece of software.

Back Cover

"At last, somebody has introduced eXtreme Programming techniques to the world of .NET! Through enjoyable writing and tons of hands-on exercises, Dr. Neil explains how to use the best techniques from eXtreme Programming to vastly improve developer productivity within the .NET Framework."

—George Bullock, Program Manager, Microsoft Corporation

eXtreme .NET shows developers and team leaders how to incorporate eXtreme Programming (XP) practices with .NET-connected technologies to create high-quality, low-cost code that will build better software. This practical, realistic guidebook systematically covers key elements of XP methodology in the specific context of the Microsoft .NET Framework, Visual Studio .NET, Visual C#, and related Microsoft .NET-enabled applications.

Leading .NET and XP mentor Dr. Neil Roodyn covers planning, task definition, test-driven development, user interfaces, refactoring, spiking, pair programming, and much more. Dr. Neil offers field-proven advice for everything from automating builds to integrating third-party libraries. He also incorporates valuable exercises and presents a start-to-finish case study that shows exactly how XP and Microsoft .NET interoperate throughout an entire development project. Coverage includes

• Where to start if you've never used XP or other Agile methods before

• Pair programming: Turning .NET programming into a collaborative game

• Test-Driven development: Making sure your .NET code works as intended while it's easiest to fix

• Refactoring: Organizing your .NET code to improve flexibility and enable changes more readily

• Continuous integration and automated build/test: Enhancing quality in distributed, component-based systems

• Spiking: Using rapid experimentation to validate your expectations about behavior in the .NET Framework

• The importance of customer input to successful projects

• How to test .NET user interfaces and third-party libraries

The Microsoft .NET Framework is today's most productive development platform. XP represents a fundamental breakthrough in building higher-value software. Combine them: transform your team into an eXtreme .NET team that can accomplish more than ever before. This book will show you how—starting with your very next project.

Dr. Neil Roodyn has been actively involved with eXtreme Programming since 1999, and founded Sydney's eXtreme Programming Activity Club (SyXPAC). He has helped drive the adoption of the .NET Framework in Australia through his work as a project leader, consultant, instructor, and mentor. His clients have ranged from Microsoft to Rogue Wave and he has helped launch several software startups. Dr. Neil holds a Ph.D. from University College London where he specialized in software architectures for real-time systems.

© Copyright Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

Contents

Foreword.

0. Setup.

1. eXtreme Programming Overview.

What Is eXtreme Programming?

Working in The Ever-Faster-Changing World.

The Answers According to Microsoft.

The Answers According to XP.

How .NET and XP Fit Together.

You Don't Have to "Believe" in XP to Learn Something from It.

The Roles.

What .NET Developers Can Gain from XP Practices.

XP Practices Covered in This Book.

Whole Team (a.k.a. On-Site Customer).

Planning Game.

Pair Programming.

Test-Driven Development.

Constant Refactoring.

Spiking.

Continuous Integration.

Stand-Up Meetings.

The Other Practices.

The 4 (+ 1) Key Values.

Communication.

Simplicity.

Feedback.

Courage.

Respect.

Conclusion.

2. Pair Programming.

I'm Not Sitting with Him!

The Professional Attitude.

Get With the Winning Approach.

It's a Game.

Exercise 2-1: Game to Teach Pair Programming.

Exercise 2-2: Step-by-Step Exercise to Get a Feel for Pair Programming.

Try It Together.

Exercise 2-3: Exercises for Two Developers to   Work On Together.

Conclusion.

3. How to Solve Big Problems.

The Software Development Problem.

The Genius Is in the Simplicity.

Big, Complex Solutions.

The Genius Function.

Example of Problem Breakdown.

Problem Breakdown Exercise.

Exercise 3-1: Defining the Story.

Exercise 3-2: Breaking Down the Stories into Small Subtasks.

Exercise 3-3: Breaking Down the Subtasks Even Further.

Exercises to Help You Toward Genius.

Exercise 3-4: The Shopping Cart.

Exercise 3-5: Derived Stock Market Data.

Exercise 3-6: What's the Weather Like?

Exercise 3-7: The Unfinished Solution.

Conclusion.

4. Test-Driven Development.

Is It Possible to Write Bug-Free Code?

Increase the Quality of Your Code.

The Big Why.

Introducing Nunit.

Creating a New Project in C# Using Nunit.

Exercise 4-1: Get NUnit Up and Running.

Exercise 4-2: Write a Test and Add Some Functionality.

Exercise 4-3: Plug the Business Logic into the User Interface.

Exercise 4-4: Plug the Business Logic into a Different User Interface.

Exercise 4-5: Write a Test to Fix a Bug.

Exercise 4-6: Write a Test and Then Add   Another Function.

Exercise 4-7: Write a Test and Then Extract the Method.

Exercise 4-8: Add the UI for Subtraction.

Exercise 4-9: Extract Functionality Out of the UI Layer.

How Do You Feel About TDD?

Exercise 4-10: Without Tests.

Exercise 4-11: With Tests.

Confidence Test.

Conclusion.

5. Refactoring.

What Is Refactoring.

Do It As You Go.

The Importance of Tests.

The Benefits.

Feedback.

Communication.

Simplicity.

Some More Big "Why" Questions.

Why Should I Do It When No One Else Does?

Why Do Something That Doesn't Add Any New Features to the Code?

Let's Start Refactoring.

Exercise 5-1: Currency Converter Refactoring.

When Not to Refactor.

Conclusion.

6. Spiking.

You Can't Know Everything.

Raise Your Confidence.

Let's Discover Something.

Exercise 6-1: Spiking How Time Zone Data Works in Windows.

Encode the Knowledge in Tests.

Go Where No Man Has Gone Before.

Exercise 6-2: Spike Web Services Without a Web Server.

Exercise 6-3: Spike Session State Across Service Calls.

Exercise 6-4: Spike Drag and Drop Documents in a Rich Text Control.

Conclusion.

7. Automating the Build Process.

What is the Build Process?

What's Wrong with F5?

I Make Mistakes.

If a Computer Can Do It, Then It Should.

Do It the Old Way.

Exercise 7-1: Creating an Integration Build Batch File.

Introduction to Nant.

Exercise 7-2: Using NAnt to Automate   the Build Process.

Conclusion.

8. More Testing.

User-Interface Testing.

It's Not Possible!

"We Are a Special Case".

An Issue of Architecture.

Exercise 8-1: Building a Thin GUI Layer to Make Testing Easier.

Stamper Part Two.

Stamper Part Three.

Exercise 8-2: Using Reflection to Test the GUI.

Exercises on Your Own.

Testing Third-Party Libraries.

We All Do It.

The .NET Framework Is a Third-Party Library!

Component-Based Software Development Is Here.

If It Goes Wrong, We're All in the Brown Stuff.

Put the Alarms in Place.

Step-by-Step Exercises Using a Third-Party Library.

Exercise 8-5: Setting Up NUnit (Again!).

Exercise 8-6: The Quick Breadth Test.

Exercise 8-7: The Functional Depth Test.

Exercise 8-8: Testing for Exceptions.

Exercise 8-9: Examining the Code.

Exercise 8-10: Writing a Breadth Test.

Exercise 8-11: Getting the Breadth Test Running.

Exercise 8-12: Writing a Test to Break the Code.

Exercise 8-13: Forcing an Intermittent Error.

Coding with Protection.

Exercise 8-14: Protecting Yourself Against the Change.

Exercise 8-15: Plugging In the New Changed Library.

Conclusion.

9. Step-by-Step Development.

Step by Step by Step.

A Strategy to Lower the Risk of Failure.

Step-by-Step Exercise to Demonstrate the Small-Step Approach.

Conclusion.

Appendix I. Guideline Solutions for Task Breakdown Exercises in Chapter 3.

Exercise 3-4: The Shopping Cart.

Exercise 3-5: Derived Stock Market Data.

Exercise 3-6: What's the Weather Like?

Exercise 3-7: The Unfinished Solution.

Appendix II. Building Your Own Simple Test Framework with Excel

Appendix III. Recommended Reading.

Important Books for Software Developers Working in Teams.

XP-Specific Books.

XP-Specific Web Sites.

Agile Techniques Books.

Agile Web Sites.

Agile Tools Web Sites.

A Book About Change.

Index.

Features

Filled with practical, hands-on examples, this will be the first book Microsoft developers go to when learning Agile development techniques

° Microsoft is encouraging developers using their tools to start using sound software development methodologies

° eXtreme programming is very well suited to the way many Microsoft developers work

° Author is well-respected in both the eXtreme Programming and .NET Developer worlds

° Book is full of practical experience and genuinely useful examples