A bit off topic on Agile

I think this week I would like to go off topic and talk about Agile development or Extreme programming. I believe we were able to stray off for one blog if I recall correctly. Up until now I haven’t really given much thought to actual processes for design patterns and how an actual project is created using Extreme programming and test driven development. I am finding that I may have to take a step back rethink what I have thought to be the way things were done. As I have zero experience in an actual programming position in a company and only know what I read or learn here at school, I find that I am having to rethink things out often. Anyways my thoughts on TDD and XP. I am finding some of the concepts hard to grasp, not intellectually, but just in a common sense strategy sort of way. We just finished a lab on TDD and XP and the method of programming to me seems counterintuitive in ways, but I think it is just because it is new. I do like the idea of writing a test and then the method and just doing the basics to get it to work and building from there. I have never given this much thought, but hey if you write the test you know what to code for so it’s pretty cool. I also will have to get use to the idea of not using inheritance when possible and using many smaller methods to make up the project as whole. I don’t think I will have too much of a hard time adjusting to that though as I think that this is a very effective way to do things as it is easier to compartmentalize when there is an issue with the code and to track bugs down I would imagine as each small part is part of a whole so you only have to weed out a small potion and make changes instead combing over mass quantities of code. Over all I think that once I get use to this way of thought it will only help to make me a better programmer.