Coding Dojo @DR 002

Below you'll find all details of the Coding Dojo @DR 002 meeting. Please comment on this post with your opinion or concern on any topic. If you haven't read this post, please read it to gain a better understanding about this event.

For this second meeting, I want to emphasize points 3 and 4  of the Agenda. First we need to give a solid an clear introduction to the Coding Dojo Topic (meeting formats, objectives, and rules). Also is  almost mandatory for everyone to understand the TDD cycle and to see, in practice, a solution build using TDD. On the last meeting we noticed that people were unaware of the meeting format and objectives, although several references were given. So, if this is your first meeting; or you have not read the following references, please do it before the next meeting:

• Coding Dojo @DR, Gathering post
• What is Coding Dojo post
• Little Coding Dojo Intro
• RandoriKatas format
• PreparedKatas format
• CodeKata, the Coding Dojo's crib
• Test-driven development cycle

I  -Event URL:  http://goo.gl/ykQWe

II -Katas Pool

We must select (see point 5 of Agenda), one or more Katas to practice on each Dojo session. The following list is an extract of some easy Katas, please review each one to be informed when making your decision. You'll find more Katas at this blog Code Kata's Page.

• Repeat Separator
• KataWordWrap
• Number Persistence[Multiplicative]
• Test data
• Kata Diphthong and Hiatus

III-Expected attendees: 15

IV -Expected duration: 3:00 hrs. (3 hours)

V  -Agenda

1. Decide on date for next session: 5 minutes
2. Decide on a Topic for next session: Just TDD (0 minutes)
3. Coding Dojo and TDD introduction: 15 minutes
4. Code! PreparedKata by Lorenzo Solano (Roman Numerals): 30 minutes
5. Pick a / some Kata(s) for this session: 10 minutes
6. Code! RandoriKata: 45 minutes
7. Mid-session break to discuss how things are going: 10 minutes
8. Code some more: 45 minutes
9. Retrospective. What went well? What was interesting? What was frustrating?: 20 minutes

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This section will be filled after the event.

VI  -Next event URL: http://goo.gl/2iOTD

VII -Next event date: Tue Oct 30

VIII-Actual attendees: 11

IX  -Actual duration: 3:00 hrs.

X   -Worked Katas:
Roman Numerals (prepared), and Word-wrapping (randori).

XI  -Retrospective 

What was frustrating?

• Low focus on the problem at hand, participants were talking during the hole meeting about other topics.
• Too much noise.
• Some of the attendees were not on time.
• Some people think that we need more "real" problems. By real they mean problems more like the ones we faced every day at work. Also they mention less-algorithmic problems.
• Definitely, we need and external keyboard and mouse.
• Allocate enough time for each problem, so we don't have stop and unfinished solution. 
• Plan to have a meal.

What went well?

• In general this meeting was, by far, more organized than the previous one.
• We cover all points in the agenda.

What was interesting?

• Was interesting to new ones.
• We have knowledge sharing.

Next meeting agreements:

• We'll have a Kake format.

XII -Action Points

• In the future, we won't put more than one meeting format for a dojo session, to ensure that we have the time needed to work on problems.
• For the next meeting, we need to define an "expert" on each programming language to be used on the Kake meeting.