This is a continuation of part one where I started to introduce some of the terms the developers here at pMD throw around that might give non-developers a better understanding of what their favorite software engineer may be referring to. This list focuses on some of the terminology used in practicing agile software development--a methodology we started practicing more formally earlier this year.

Agile software development - An iterative and flexible approach to software development.

Scrum - One type of agile software development, where the basic unit of work is a sprint (see below).

Sprint - The regular work cycle of the scrum method. Most teams prefer short sprints of one-two weeks when all assign tasks can be completed.

Stand-up - A daily (usually morning) meeting to quickly get status updates on yesterday's completed and today's planned work. Standing helps avoid long drawn out meetings.

Scrum Master - A team member that helps facilitate the scrum process and assist in communicating and protecting the team from outside distractions.

Also to help give context to agile methodologies, defining an alternative may help:

Waterfall Model - A classic approach to software development that consists of rigid and sequential stages consisting of gathering requirements, designing, implementing, verifying, and maintaining software. This approach is generally criticized as being too rigid and slow to respond to the realities of customers and business needs.