Agile Methods Enter the Software Engineering World

As described in Chapter 2, there is a newer method, eXtreme Programming (XP), one of the agile type. XP implements the value of communication by open -space development areas and customers on site. This way, if either the client or developer has a question, it can be addressed directly and simply. One idea is that most of the questions are asked during development, so little documentation is needed. In an atmosphere of seemingly constant change, XP is based on the proclamation that anything written down ceases to be current the instant it is published. So, why waste time?

Other values in XP are simplicity, feedback, and courage. Practices are chosen to implement these values. Chapter 2 describes these practices emphasizing their human aspects.

Since XP and UP are described elsewhere ([Beck00] and [Jacobsen99], respectively), and in part in Chapter 2 of this book, we will not spend time on them here.

Tasks

Identify evolutionary processes in the development of software development methods.
How is it that agile approaches were not invented before?