110
THE LAWS OF SOFTWARE PROCESS
within calendar time. Some project estimation and planning tools use a
loading factor to calculate the same thing.
The story cards are used to create a project plan. Typically, the project
plan consists of a series of iterations, each with a set of stories. One of the
conventions of XP is that any iteration should be an end-to-end set of busi-
ness functions, even if they are primitive. The idea is to deliver something
to the customer that (1) really works and (2) provides some legitimate
value. These are the Small Releases.
Small Releases
The continual release of functioning software in small increments is a
feature of all Agile approaches at some level. Actually making the software
work in the real environment does many ...