4. The Kernel Alphas Made Tangible with Cards

The kernel captures the essence of software engineering—the essential concepts to run software endeavors, to solve challenges, and to communicate and collaborate effectively. But how do you learn the kernel?

One way is through the use of cards. Cards have proven to be a lightweight and practical way not only to remember the kernel, but also to use it in practice in a team.

Cards make the elements of the kernel—particularly alphas, which are the emphasis of this book—easy to digest and use. For this reason, we present the alphas in two ways: through alpha definition cards and alpha state cards. We will continue with the discussion involving Smith, Fred, and Angela to demonstrate the usefulness of these ...

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