12 Code reviews and mob programming

 

This chapter covers

  • What mob programming is
  • Code reviews or mob programming—which one?
  • How mobbing complements code reviews
  • Integrating mob programming
  • Mob programming challenges

Mob programming (also known as “mobbing”) is where more than two team members work together to solve a problem. They typically huddle around a single workstation or a shared, online collaborative IDE. Similar to pair programming, there is a driver that focuses on coding and a navigator that gives out instructions, only this time, there are more navigators. Switching at timed intervals is more prevalent. And when one of the navigators gets stuck or needs guidance, they can ask the “mob” of people who are participating (the other navigators) for help.

With a whole team working together, communicating, sharing ideas, and bringing way more domain knowledge into the mix, surely code reviews are unnecessary now, right?

12.1 Do we do code reviews or mob programming?

12.1.1 Mob programming strengths

12.1.2 Complementing code reviews with mob programming

12.1.3 Mob programming can’t replace code reviews

12.2 Integrating mob programming with code reviews

12.2.1 Complementary approaches

12.2.2 Mob programming challenges

Summary

References