The Forest and The Desert is a metaphor to consider software program improvement processes, developed by Beth Anders-Beck and his father Kent Beck. It’s postulated that two communities of software program builders have nice issue speaking with one another as a result of they stay in very totally different contexts, so the council that applies to 1 sounds meaningless for the opposite.
The desert is the frequent world of software program improvement, the place errors are plentiful, talent is just not cultivated and communications with customers are tough. The forest is the world of a properly -managed workforce that makes use of one thing like Excessive programmingThe place builders put the modifications rapidly in manufacturing, protected by their exams, the code is invested to maintain it wholesome, and there may be common contact with the shopper.
Clearly, Beth and Kent favor the forest (as I do). However the metaphor is extra about how the outline of the forest and the recommendation on methods to work there typically sounds meaningless for these whose solely expertise is the desert. It reminds us that any lesson we draw on the apply of software program improvement, or architectural patterns, are ruled by the context that we expertise them. It’s doable to vary the desert to the forest, however it’s tough, typically requires that individuals do issues which are tough and counterintuitive. (It appears sadly simpler for the forest to bear desertification).
On this framing, I’m undoubtedly an inhabitant of the forest, and I look with Thoughworks to domesticate a wholesome forest for us and our purchasers. I work to elucidate the forest to the desert inhabitants and assist my forest companions make their forest much more plentiful.
Expressions of gratitude
Kent Beck equipped the picture, which he may have rigorously drawn pixel by pixel. Or not.
