Understanding Pair Programming and extended Distributed Pair Programming

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Lutz Prechelt
• Subject Area: Software Engineering and Programming Languages
• Term: from 2012 to 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 202942360

Pair Programming (PP) is claimed to have many benefits and high-enoughproductivity to warrant using it, but previous quantitative evidence ishighly variable and inconclusive, partly because many of the benefits aredifficult to measure.Qualitative analysis of PP by other researchers spotily covered only fewPP phenomena.We propose that effective use of PP (whether in local or distributedform) benefits from an understanding ofwhat constitutes *pair programming skill*, which is separate fromprogramming skill.We use qualitative research methods (Grounded Theory Methodology, GTM),applied to recordings of industrial PP sessions,in order to conceptualize PP behaviors in a form that makes PP skill explainable and learnable.We report on the results of our work in the previous funding periodand propose further work in particular in the areas of concurrent editing behavior (for distributed PP),PP roles,knowledge transfer,anddecision-making.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants