Coding Standards

Correct Answer: Conduct a refresher session on coding standards and its importance, reinforce it during daily scrum meetings.

In an Agile project, one of the principles is 'Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design enhances agility.' Therefore, when productivity drops due to frequent code merges required because the team hasn't been following standards, the best course of action would be to conduct a refresher session on coding standards and its importance, and reinforce it during daily scrum meetings. This approach allows the team to revisit the agreed coding standards and understand their benefits. It also reminds everyone to adhere to the standards, which should reduce the frequency of merging issues and thereby, improve productivity Ignoring the issue is not a solution because it may exacerbate the problem, leading to more serious consequences down the line. Reproaching the team members not following the standards is not productive and does not cultivate a supportive and collaborative working environment, a cornerstone in any Agile project Changing the coding standards frequently is not advisable. Without a stable set of coding standards, the team may struggle to maintain consistent code quality which could, in turn, impact the overall project delivery. This method also contradicts Agile principles that advocate for a stable working environment and practices.

Correct Answer: Refactor the existing code to match the new standard, then enforce the new standard moving forward.

In an Agile project, the best approach when introducing a new coding standard midway is to refactor the existing codebase to match the new standards and enforce it moving forward. This approach would ensure consistency within the codebase, thus enabling maintainability, readability, and better collaboration among team members. On the contrary, other options such as forcing the team to start over and rewrite all the code following the new standard is not a feasible solution as it may lead to rework and waste of effort. Ignoring the new standard and continuing with the old one implies rejecting improvement, which contradicts the Agile principles of continuous evolution and adaptation. Lastly, implementing the new standard without refactoring existing code would lead to inconsistencies within the codebase. Such a situation could escalate the complexity of the code and lead to difficulties in understanding and maintaining the code in the long run.

Correct Answer: Refactor your code immediately to align with the coding standard and gently remind the team of their shared commitment to this standard.

The most Agile approach to address a discrepancy with the coding standard would be to refactor the code immediately to bring it in alignment with the set standard. This is because Agile prioritizes continuous improvement and adaptive planning which involves rectifying errors as and when they occur. Moreover, nurturing a shared commitment to a standard among the team is also an agile value. Ignoring the issue, as suggested in the second answer, contradicts the Agile principle of maintaining a constant pace of work and ensuring high quality at all times. Assigning the task to junior team members to enhance their skills (third answer) can be a good approach for team development but it may not be the most efficient way to ensure coding standard, especially when the discrepancy can have a significant impact on software quality. Lastly, documenting the task for the next iteration (fourth answer) would delay the correction and could potentially lead to more complex issues down the line. Agile emphasizes 'responding to change over following a plan', hence immediate action should be taken.