Pair Programming: Two Heads, One Screen
Pair Programming is a development practice where two programmers write all serious code together, usually side-by-side at a single monitor and often sharing one keyboard. Each step of the code is added through joint discussion.
A common first reaction is that this setup wastes effort, but that only holds if typing were the hardest part of software work. In practice, programming is a constant loop of understanding how existing code behaves and deciding how to alter it best. Two developers collaborating can often outpace two working separately; a second brain nearby accelerates insight and helps avoid analytical dead-ends that can consume hours.
This is an intense, collaborative activity, and it won't suit everyone. Yet many people—including self-identified introverts—who expected to dislike it have grown to appreciate it once they tried it seriously.
Pairing is itself a skill, and doing it poorly turns it into a Boiled Carrot. The best route to mastery is pairing with someone experienced; otherwise, read this in-depth article by seasoned pair programmers or the older Pair Programming Misconceptions post.
