Minimal

stressed for motivation and achievement

2006-02-10

The TDD security blanket

Jack makes a post on the Reiver Games blog that beautifully encapsulates perhaps my biggest concern with test-driven development: TDD: it’s great, up to a point.

Bravo, Jack. It rings so true that I barely even feel the need to read the linked article—but I will.

posted by Mal # Friday, February 10, 2006

Comments:

Aaagh - don't let this get out of hand. Michael Bolton and Jack both make important points about the placebo effect of unit tests, but it doesn't make automated testing and TDD wrong.

It's easy to get suckered in by the green lights. I've had it happen to me. I'm learning to put some higher level tests in - to ensure that I am testing closer and closer to the user's view.

# posted by

Ashley Frieze : 1:53 pm

Mal, Jack: Spot on. It's far too easy to get lulled into a false sense of security. There's a lot more to testing than unit testing. Tests such as usability, system, performance and volume still need to be done. Unit tests are only a small part of testing.

# posted by

Anonymous : 2:33 pm

Ash, relax. I never said it was wrong. I'm merely concerned that it can produce a false sense of security if you don't keep yourself very firmly in check. All we're saying is it's a tool, not a panacea.

# posted by

Mal : 3:20 pm

I don't think Unit testing is wrong. In fact I think it's so good that I spend my spare time doing it and I'm a strong proponent of it at work - I just think there's a risk of us developers getting a little too complacent.

# posted by

Jackson Pope : 11:35 pm

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