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On 23/03/2011 13:06, Alfredo Deza wrote:
<blockquote
cite="mid:AANLkTi=2y_mKJ5ocOMeaJasgGesjsK40Kjm0PuPKTev6@mail.gmail.com"
type="cite">Hi list,
<div><br>
</div>
<div>I am about to give a presentation about testing in a couple
of days and the audience is in its majority a </div>
<div>"we do not write tests" one :(</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>If you had to name the single most important reason why you
need to write tests (or keep up with them) what</div>
<div>would that reason be?</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>You can reply with multiple ones, but I am interested in the
one you think is *the* mot important one.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>One thing to consider though is to think about the problem
from their perspective: "Why do I need to write tests?"</div>
<div>I want to make a dent in that crippled thinking!</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>I also posted the question in Convore but not everybody is in
there, plus I know that I get the best quality</div>
<div>testing-related answers here :)</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Any feedback is *greatly* appreciated!</div>
</blockquote>
<br>
Hey Alfredo,<br>
<br>
TDD isn't really that hard. It does require, impose, a change in
thinking (which is why Titus is so suspicious) but the actual
process is simple enough.<br>
<br>
The "Advantages" section of Jonathan Hartley's excellent
presentation on TDD provide some good pithy reasons to test
(particularly but not solely reasons to do TDD):<br>
<br>
● Instant feedback if changes break old code.<br>
● Eliminates the need for project integration test phases –
development is sustainable.<br>
● Assurance that new code really works.<br>
● Enables massive, painless refactoring.<br>
● Product code has better external interfaces, and better internal
design.<br>
● Breaks down large, daunting tasks into controlled, well-understood
steps.<br>
● Passing acceptance tests means provably conforming to an
unambiguous, predefined spec.<br>
● Tests form up-to-date and unambiguous docs of product code's
abilities and intended usage.<br>
<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://tartley.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/tddbrookssilverbullet.pdf">http://tartley.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/tddbrookssilverbullet.pdf</a><br>
<br>
There's also this section:<br>
<br>
Brooks' Silver Bullet?<br>
● Tests allow objective measurement of whether code changes are an
improvement or not.<br>
● Brooks stated there would be 'no silver bullet' to the problems of
complexity inherent to software and the development process.<br>
● Without such measurement, in a system of sufficient complexity, we
are just guessing that <br>
each change is an overall improvement.<br>
● With objective measurement, we can eliminate bad changes, creating
a ratchet to ensure that <br>
changes always act to improve our product.<br>
<br>
All the best,<br>
<br>
Michael Foord<br>
<br>
<blockquote
cite="mid:AANLkTi=2y_mKJ5ocOMeaJasgGesjsK40Kjm0PuPKTev6@mail.gmail.com"
type="cite">
<div><br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>-Alfredo</div>
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</blockquote>
<br>
<br>
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May you share freely, never taking more than you give.
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