Editing Pair programming (section)

==Economics==
Pair programming increases the [[man-hour]]s required to deliver code compared to programmers working individually.<ref name="ijhcs"/> However, the resulting code has fewer defects.<ref name="costs-benefits"/> Along with code development time, other factors like field support costs and quality assurance also figure into the return on investment. Pair programming might theoretically offset these expenses by reducing defects in the programs.<ref name="costs-benefits">{{Cite journal|last1=Cockburn|first1=Alistair|last2=Williams|first2=Laurie|author2-link=Laurie Williams (software engineer)|title=The Costs and Benefits of Pair Programming|journal=Proceedings of the First International Conference on Extreme Programming and Flexible Processes in Software Engineering (XP2000)|author-link=Alistair Cockburn|year=2000|url=http://collaboration.csc.ncsu.edu/laurie/Papers/XPSardinia.PDF}}</ref>

In addition to preventing mistakes as they are made, other intangible benefits may exist.  For example, the courtesy of rejecting phone calls or other distractions while working together, taking fewer breaks at agreed-upon intervals or sharing breaks to return phone calls (but returning to work quickly since someone is waiting).  One member of the team might have more focus and help drive or awaken the other if they lose focus, and that role might periodically change.  One member might know about a topic or technique that the other does not, which might eliminate delays to finding or testing a solution, or allow for a better solution, thus effectively expanding the skill set, knowledge, and experience of a programmer as compared to working alone.  Each of these intangible benefits, and many more, may be challenging to accurately measure but can contribute to more efficient working hours.{{citation needed|date=April 2022}}