Modern C++ Programming with Test-Driven Development

Katas and Dojos

In addition to continually seeking new knowledge, successful professionals practice their craft on a regular basis. Musicians use scales as warm-up exercises, cosmetic surgeons practice on cadavers, athletes run drills and scrimmages, speakers warm up in front of a mirror, and martial arts practitioners practice katas—choreographed patterns of movement.

During such practice sessions, practitioners repeat common and basic elements that they learned at the outset of their careers. These drills help ingrain basic skills. Practitioners also use them to warm up for a performance or challenge. In the midst of a challenge, a skilled performer seeks to let their “muscle memory” kick in as much as possible to handle basic movements. That ...