[TIP] the best time to start doing a test?

[Alfredo Deza]

On Mon, Sep 29, 2008 at 2:09 PM, Kumar McMillan <kumar.mcmillan at gmail.com>wrote:

> On Mon, Sep 29, 2008 at 12:15 PM, Alfredo Deza <arufuredosan at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> > Right now I am in the middle of writing a web status script that keeps
> > getting increasingly more complicated and bulky. Do I have to wait until
> I
> > am satisfied with the script and then start writing tests? or should I
> start
> > writing tests as soon as I start developing?
>
> I'd say you are probably beyond the point at which you should start
> writing tests so now is a good time to start.  However, I [personally]
> find it important to leave breathing room when beginning a new area of
> development in a project -- in other words, I give myself time to
> explore the problem in code before writing tests.  I think of this as
> a prototype stage and the code might even get thrown away.  Once I
> have a vision for the architecture then I start writing tests as soon
> as possible and add any new features with accompanying tests.  This is
> sort of like the TED (test enhanced development) that Grig and others
> described but it's got a bell curve to it where as soon as the
> architecture stabilizes it then becomes TDD (test driven development)
> for me.
>
> Kumar
>

These are GREAT pointers.

Coming from a zero testing development in BASH, it is kind of hard to get
used to testing. I think the approach of having the architectural design
almost figured out is important to avoid writing a huge amount of tests that
might be thrown away.

Thanks a lot for all the answers.


Alfredo
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