TITLE: The Tests Are For Me
AUTHOR: Eugene Wallingford
DATE: August 14, 2010 11:30 AM
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Yesterday, one of my former students tweeted,
"Write a test first." But unit tests are low priority.
The business wants high priority items first.
When I asked, "Is correct code a high priority?", he
rephrased my question as, "Is proof of correct code a
high priority?"
I knew what he meant and so dropped the exchange, sad
that companies still settle for code without tests in
the name of expediency. I try not to be dogmatic
about writing tests with code, let alone driving the
design with tests, and know there are times when not
writing tests, at least now, feels okay.
But then it occurred to me. When I write tests, the
tests aren't really for "them", whoever "them" might
be: my bosses, my colleagues, or my users. My best
test suites are the ones I write for myself. They
are a part of how I write code.
When I'm not doing TDD and not writings tests in
parallel with my code -- when not writing tests feels
okay -- I am almost always not writing interesting
code. Perhaps I know the domain so well that I can
write the code with my eyes closed. Perhaps the
domain does not engage me enough that I care to get
into the deep flow that comes with testing, growing,
and refactoring my program. If the task is dull or
routine, then tests seem unnecessary, a drag.
(Perhaps, though, I especially need to write tests
in these situations, to guard against producing bad
code as a result of complacency and boredom!)
When I am writing code I enjoy, the tests are
for me. Saying to me, "Don't
take time to write tests" is like telling me not to
use version control. It's like saying to me,
"Don't take time to format your code
properly" or "Don't bother naming your
variables properly". Not writing tests seems
foreign. Not writing tests is an impediment to
writing code at all.
It's really not a matter of "taking time to write
a test first". I write tests because that's how
I write code.
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