XP has 13 practices (see the menu to the right). Some practices, like iterative and incremental development, have been around in various forms for awhile. But many of them are fairly new. Together they create a whole that is spectacularly more than the sum of its parts.

The net effect of the XP practices is to overhaul how programmers relate to customers, how programmers relate to each other, and how programmers relate to the code. For many, the practices require learning new technical and social skills.

Caveat lector: The following definitions and descriptions of XP practices are Adaption's own. We have tried to ensure that they adhere to the latest thinking on the practices, as expressed on-line and in print by XP's original articulators. But for better or for worse, they also reflect Adaption's own slant. For more and other opinions about XP nuts and bolts, please see our XP links page.

[On to the Practices]