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Extreme Programming (XP) is an agile software development methodology and a set of engineering practices that aim to improve software quality and responsiveness to changing customer requirements. XP was created by Kent Beck in the late 1990s and has since become one of the most popular and influential agile development methodologies.

Key principles and practices of Extreme Programming include:

1. Customer-Centric Approach: XP puts a strong emphasis on customer involvement and feedback. Customers actively participate in the development process and provide continuous feedback on the evolving software.
2. Continuous Planning and Feedback: XP employs short development cycles called iterations or sprints, during which features are developed and delivered incrementally. Frequent planning and feedback loops ensure that the project remains aligned with customer needs.
3. Small Releases: XP advocates for small, frequent releases of working software. This enables faster feedback and helps the team to adapt to changing requirements.
4. Pair Programming: As mentioned earlier, XP promotes Pair Programming, where two developers work collaboratively at one computer, producing higher-quality code and fostering knowledge sharing.
5. Test-Driven Development (TDD): In XP, developers write automated tests before writing the actual code. This practice helps ensure that the code is thoroughly tested and robust.
6. Continuous Integration (CI): XP teams integrate their code frequently (multiple times a day) into a shared repository, where automated builds and tests are run to detect integration issues early.
7. Refactoring: XP encourages refactoring as a regular practice to keep the codebase clean, maintainable, and efficient.
8. Sustainable Pace: XP advocates for a sustainable pace of work, avoiding long overtime and burnout, to maintain the team’s productivity and well-being.
9. Collective Code Ownership: All team members are responsible for the entire codebase, promoting shared ownership and collaboration.
10. Coding Standards: XP teams follow coding standards and conventions to ensure consistency and readability of the code.

XP is designed to be highly adaptable to changing requirements and emphasizes simplicity, communication, and teamwork. The combination of practices in XP aims to increase software quality, reduce development time, and enhance customer satisfaction.

While some practices in XP, like Pair Programming and Test-Driven Development, may not be suitable for every team or project, organizations often tailor XP to fit their specific needs and development culture. XP has been widely adopted and has contributed significantly to the evolution of agile software development methodologies.