[pypy-svn] rev 1599 - pypy/trunk/doc/funding

[hpk at codespeak.net]

Author: hpk
Date: Mon Oct  6 18:24:15 2003
New Revision: 1599

Modified:
   pypy/trunk/doc/funding/B4.5_resources.txt
Log:
added the paragraphs about sprint that laura requested. 
feel free to comment and enhance and give me further
directions. 



Modified: pypy/trunk/doc/funding/B4.5_resources.txt
==============================================================================
--- pypy/trunk/doc/funding/B4.5_resources.txt	(original)
+++ pypy/trunk/doc/funding/B4.5_resources.txt	Mon Oct  6 18:24:15 2003
@@ -3,4 +3,36 @@
 Show how the project will mobilise the critical mass of resources
 (personnel, equipment, finance...) necessary for success.
 
-FIXME HOLGER: Here is where we need to say one thing about Sprints
+FIXME: <holger> i am only writing about sprints below (laura told me so) 
+but the above sentence seems to indicate that a lot of more stuff should go here. 
+Please feel free to enhance/modify!
+
+
+Key to PyPy's technical development and research are so called "sprints".  These publically 
+announced one-week meetings serve as an intense working forum to rapidly discuss 
+and implement key PyPy ideas with agile methodologies.  Developers usually pair 
+up and write unit-tests to test the to-be-implemented features before actually adding 
+them.  The unittest-first approach helps to understand the planned feature.  Additionally, 
+the discussion in a pair makes sure that obviously wrong pathes of development are
+avoided. If something seems too hard to test or to pin down explicitely this is 
+taken as an indication of an underlying design problem.  
+
+Note that more traditional approaches even in the free software world usually follow a model 
+where developers work alone and only meet to talk.  Instead with sprint-driven development 
+talking and actually implementing resulting ideas ensures a more focused approach with fast 
+feedback cycles.  Moreover, while coding in pairs developers educate each other which leads 
+to a broader common understanding of PyPy.  During a sprint multiple pairs want to work in 
+parallel which adds pressure on design decisions so that independent development of components 
+of the system is possible.  Thus sprints not only deepen the communication and understanding 
+among researchers and developers but they imply a working process which enhances the software 
+design in multiple ways. 
+
+It is helpful to understand that with a very-high-level-language like Python 
+rapid development in coding-sprints becomes especially effective.  A VHLL-language allows to 
+focus on ideas rather than on low-level language details.  In combintation with pervasive 
+test-driven development this eases high-quality rapid evolution towards the intendent 
+goals.  Obviously, the PyPy developers are very experienced with Python and bigger applications
+in general. Thus the full potential of coding-sprints is unvealed during PyPy sprints. 
+
+FIXME LAURA: <holger> should i add more about the involvement of the Python community here? 
+and something about the python-sprint-culture (Zope3, Plone, twisted) in general?