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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Alfredo,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>The single most important reason to write tests has a two-part answer.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>First, writing and executing tests is the only reliable mechanism to verify that what I intended to write is what I actually wrote. In other words, testing is the mechanism to verify that the &#8220;mental model&#8221; of how our software operates agrees with how it actually operates. (Some might reference the quote, &#8220;The map is not the territory.&#8221;)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Second, writing (unit) tests improves my design by causing me to specifically answer the question: &#8220;How will I use this class or method?&#8221;<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Hope this information helps (along with all the other great answers).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#333333'>---<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#333333'>Larry Jones<br></span><b><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#FFCC00'>||| </span></b><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#666666'>Senior Level Development Engineer<br>Aspen Technology, Inc. </span><b><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#33CC00'>||| </span></b><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#666666'>+1 281-504-3324</span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'> </span><b><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#33CC00'>||| </span></b><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#666666'>fax: 281-584-1062 </span><b><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#33CC00'>||| </span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><a href="http://www.aspentech.com/"><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#666666'>www.aspentech.com</span></a> </span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://www.aspentech.com/aspenoneglobalconference/"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=269 height=86 id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.png@01CBE963.F52BBEB0" alt="cid:image001.png@01CB79E8.9FBFECC0"></span></a><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> testing-in-python-bounces@lists.idyll.org [mailto:testing-in-python-bounces@lists.idyll.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Alfredo Deza<br><b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, March 23, 2011 8:07 AM<br><b>To:</b> TesttingInPython<br><b>Subject:</b> [TIP] testing: why bother?<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Hi list,<o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>I am about to give a presentation about testing in a couple of days and the audience is in its majority a&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>&quot;we do not write tests&quot; one :(<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>If you had to name the single most important reason why you need to write tests (or keep up with them) what<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>would that reason be?<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>You can reply with multiple ones, but I am interested in the one you think is *the* mot important one.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>One thing to consider though is to think about the problem from their perspective: &quot;Why do I need to write tests?&quot;<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>I want to make a dent in that crippled thinking!<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>I also posted the question in Convore but not everybody is in there, plus I know that I get the best quality<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>testing-related answers here :)<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Any feedback is *greatly* appreciated!<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>-Alfredo<o:p></o:p></p></div></div></body></html>
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