when it arises the development of a software, it is convenient to think about the type of methodology that is going to be chosen. For this, it is important to differentiate between extreme programming and scrum. Two options that have existed for quite some time and with which developers work regularly. For this reason, it is essential to know what the differences are between one and the other.
One focuses on programming, the other on management
The main difference between these two methods of programming is that extreme programming focuses on coding and the tests that must be reviewed during the development of a software. However, scrum behaves differently in this and its efforts are oriented to product management. Put aside all that more mathematical programming part to focus on strategy.
Is this positive or negative? The truth is that there is no position of the developers in this regard. In fact, some believe that these two ways of programming are not incompatible. Yes, it is true that each one has a somewhat different task, but there is not one that is better than the other. Both are useful.
Time is a differentiating factor
The second difference of these programming methods is that the time varies. With extreme programming the work of developing a software can be ready in about two weeks maximum. But, this is not so clear when working with scrum. The reason is that scrum uses “sprints”, that is, short release cycles that are reviewed for improvement. Therefore, the times are lengthened.
With scrum, depending on how those “sprints” go, the results can be in a few weeks or months. Therefore, if you need a accelerated programming, this will not be the best option. In these situations, extreme programming, due to logical circumstances, would be the ideal alternative to meet the deadlines.
Story cards vs. task boards
A third difference developers should be aware of between these two scheduling options is the way they track tasks. For example, in extreme programming story cards would be used that are like a kind of cards with key information such as the priority that you have, the risk of development and the description of that story card.
Scrum instead uses task boards which remind us a bit of the Trello app. It is a more visual method in which the steps that must be carried out are specified, their order of priority, which ones must be reviewed or are completed, etc. The choice of one method or another will depend on each developer.
The purposes are different: functional or bug-free product
The fourth difference between extreme programming and scrum is that the first has the task of developing software that is free of errors. This is why there is a specific priority order for the resolution of certain tasks and the methodology based on tests is so indispensable. The aim is not to launch a product, but to achieve the most perfect software possible.
Contrary, scrum is focused on creating a functional product. As we already mentioned, management is one of its priorities and this focus on a functional product can generate suspicions about its viability or high possibilities of errors. However, because it usually takes longer to get it, because of how it works with sprints, you can check that everything is okay well in advance.
The differences between extreme programming and scrum should be taken into account, since betting on one method or another will offer a result for different teams. Although scrum is very much in vogue nowadays, extreme programming offers a number of advantages that should also be paid attention to.
