Pair programming and the mysterious role of the navigator

Computer programming is generally understood to be highly challenging and since its inception a wide range of approaches, tools and methodologies have been developed to assist in managing its complexity. Relatively recently the potential benefits of collaborative software development have been formalised in the practice of pair programming. Here we attempt to `unpick' the pair programming process through the analysis of verbalisations from a number of commercial studies. We focus particularly on the roles of the two programmers and what their key characteristics and behaviours might be. In particular, we dispute two existing claims: (i) That the programmer who is not currently typing in code ("the navigator") is constantly reviewing what is typed and highlighting any errors (i.e. acting as a reviewer); (ii) That the navigator focuses on a t level of abstraction as a way of ensuring coverage at all necessary levels (i.e. acting as a foreman). We provide an alternative mo...

• Type: Journal
• Year: 2008
• Where: IJMMS
• Authors: Sallyann Bryant, Pablo Romero, Benedict du Boulay
• Keywords: Collaborative Software Development, IJMMS 2008, Pair Programming, Pair Programming Process