Join us for the Global Day of Coderetreat on November 16th

For the 10th anniversary of the Global Day of Coderetreat, InVision is once again hosting a remote-friendly event. In the spirit of GDCR, the day will be dedicated to providing an encouraging space for practicing the fundamentals of software craftsmanship such as modular design, pair programming, and test-driven development. It’s free to attend and open to all skill levels. Join us starting at 10AM EST (UTC -5) on Saturday November 16th.

What will we be doing for eight hours?

We will start with a few administrative items, the agenda, and getting to know one another. Afterwards we will we will work together to implement Conway’s Game of Life in up to six ~45 minute sessions.

In each session we’ll do the following: find a new partner, discuss and solve Conway’s Game of Life together, and delete all the code at the end. As if starting from scratch each time weren’t enough disruption, we’ll allow for picking a new language or framework and even add a constraint to how we solve the problem. It’s all about staying out of a comfortable routine and deliberately practicing our craft together. Active pair programming and test-driven development will be kept constant and highly encouraged throughout the day.

After each session we’ll come together to have a brief retrospective. This will be the time to share what we learned, our solutions, the challenges of the constraint, what went well, or what did not. Expect to have some breaks throughout the day and an extended break around 1pm EST. If it’s convenient in your time zone the extended break may be used to have lunch and most certainly to socialize with your fellow software craftspeople.

By the end of the day we will have been challenged, experienced in other languages and approaches, worked with other like-minded individuals, and improved in our craft.

What do I need?

You will need a computer, an internet connection that works well for video conferencing, and enough time to spend the day at the Coderetreat. Slack will be used for direct communication and coordination. To facilitate pairing we will be using Visual Studio Code with Live Share.

Before the event, it will be helpful to have your development environment set up and integrated with Visual Studio Code. Create a template of the environment with a runnable Hello World program and preferably with a testing framework prepared. As we’ll be frequently starting over in each session expect to use other people’s environments as well.

Anything else?

This is a day about deliberate practice and learning. For many, pair programming and test-driven development may be new or less often used practices. We all have different experiences, approaches, and skill levels. Come to the event with a willingness to listen, to support, and to learn from one another!

We look forward to seeing you at the Coderetreat! Spaces are limited — you can find out more and register for InVision’s Day of Coderetreat here.