Scrum vs XP
Scrum is a framework for agile development processes. It does not include specific engineering practices. Conversely, eXtreme Programming (XP) focuses on engineering practices but does not include an overarching framework of development processes. That does not mean that Scrum does not recommend certain engineering practices or that XP has no process.
For example, the first Scrum implemented all of the engineering practices that are now known as XP. However, the Scrum framework for software development was designed to get a team started in two or three days, whereas engineering practices often take many months to implement. Therefore, it left the question of when (and whether) to implement specific practices up to each team. Scrum co-creators Jeff Sutherland and Ken Schwaber recommend that Scrum teams get started immediately and create a list of impediments and a process improvement plan. As engineering practices are identified as impediments, teams should look to XP practices as a way to improve. The best teams run Scrum supplemented with XP practices. Scrum helps XP to scale, and XP helps Scrum to work well.
The following table shows how key terms in Scrum and XP can be interchanged.
| Scrum | XP |
| product owner | customer |
| scrum master | XP coach |
| team | team |
| sprint | iteration |
| sprint planning meeting | planning game |
Scrum is a framework for agile development processes. It does not include specific engineering practices. Conversely, eXtreme Programming (XP) focuses on engineering practices but does not include an overarching framework of development processes. That does not mean that Scrum does not recommend certain engineering practices or that XP has no process. For example, the first…