NEVER Underestimate the Power of a Good Test Case
6 Reasons Why You Shouldn't
Software testing is a critical element of any software development process. The quality and effectiveness of your software have a lot to do with the quality and effectiveness of your tests. It is often believed that testing is something that can be done quickly, cheaply, and at no risk to the rest of the project. In reality, however, this is not always the case. Many organizations underestimate the power of a good test case because they don't see it as something they need to expend time or effort on ' or so they think. Consider these reasons why you should never underestimate the power of a good test case:
You can write a bad test case, but you can't run a bad build.
If you're writing tests, you'll be creating or modifying your build pipeline to support the testing effort. You might consider the tests to be something like an extra feature that you can add to the build and then forget about, but that's not how it works. A bad test case will stop the build, just like a bad feature. And, just like a bad feature, there's no way to go back and run a bad test. You have to go back and rewrite the test or delete it, and if you forget to do one or the other, you'll be stuck with a bad test being marked as passed.
No one will remember your good code if there are no good tests.
No matter how good your code is, if there are no good tests, no one will remember it. If there are no tests, people will conclude (sometimes rightly so) that you are a developer who doesn't know what they're doing. If there are poor tests, people will conclude that you're a poor developer. Tests demonstrate that you know what you're doing and that you're doing it right. If you have a good test suite, you can refactor with confidence. If you are introducing a new feature, you can demonstrate that it works correctly. If you are fixing a bug, you can show that your fix works. Tests are proof that your code works. Even if your code is better than anyone else's, no one will know because there are no tests to prove it.
Good tests are your only real protection against regression.
If you don't have any tests, you don't have a good way to know whether you're breaking functionality or not. If you are fixing a bug or introducing a new feature, you don't have a good way of knowing if you've broken something or not. You don't have any idea whether your changes are causing any other functionality to fail. If it's good code, though, it's most likely that it's not.
Good tests help you to focus on what's most important.
The best way to know if your code is well-written and easy to maintain and extend is to have good tests. Good tests indicate that your code does what it's supposed to, so there is no need to worry about it. Good tests allow you to focus on the things that you should be focusing on. You don't have to worry about breaking existing functionality or introducing new bugs. You don't have to worry about if your code is easy to maintain or if it's scalable. Instead, you can focus on the things that matter. For example, you can focus on improving the design, architecture, and robustness of your code. You can focus on making your code extensible, reusable, modifiable, and maintainable. You can focus on making your code better without having to worry about breaking something or introducing a new bug.
Good tests lead to better design and architecture decisions.
Good tests ensure that your code is robust and extensible. Good tests ensure that your code is scalable and can grow as your project grows. Good tests ensure that your code is well-designed. These are all important aspects of a software project. When you are designing, architecting, and coding with good tests in mind, you are making better decisions than you would otherwise. You are making decisions that are informed by your tests, so you know that whatever you do, your tests will confirm that you've made the right decision.
A well-written test is the best piece of documentation you can have.
A well-written test is a first-hand account of your code of what it does and does not do. A well-written test is a record of your code's functionality and behaviors. A well-written test is a record of your code's design (even if it's a bad design). A well-written test is a record of your code's architectural decisions. If you were to write the documentation for your code, you would write down a summary of your code's functionality, an overview of your code's design, and an explanation of your code's architectural decisions. If you were to write actual documentation, you would also have to write down things like installation instructions, usage instructions, and troubleshooting instructions ' all things that your tests are better suited to do. A well-written test is the best piece of documentation you can have.
So, don't ever underestimate the power of a good test case!
There are several reasons why you should never underestimate the power of a good test case. These reasons include the following: - You can write a bad test case, but you can't run a bad build. - No one will remember you're good code if there are no good tests. - Good tests are your only real protection against regression. - Good tests help you to focus on what's most important. - Good tests lead to better design and architecture decisions. - A well-written test is the best piece of documentation you can have. Remember, though, that testing is a critical element of any software development process. The quality and effectiveness of your software have a lot to do with the quality and effectiveness of your tests. It is often believed that testing is something that can be done quickly, cheaply, and at no risk to the rest of the project. In reality, however, this is not always the case. Many organizations underestimate the power of a good test case because they don't see it as something they need to expend time or effort on ' or so they think.