Efficient Development Still Needs Testing

It’s understandable why there’s so much resistance toward deeply testing OutSystems. Developers don’t seem to understand that it allows them to start developing very quickly. However, I will mention some common misconceptions around TDD to dispel any confusion.

Testing has always been an integral part of the software development process.

Developers often ask me about TDD, BDD, or simply Unit Testing. The question is usually, “…but why unit testing?” This is a result of the fear that developers have of investing too much time and effort in a project that may be completed within a short term period. In some cases, people ask how many sprints are required before these practices can be fully implemented.

Benefits

It ensures product reliability and quality; helps catch errors at the early stages before they turn into big problems. Even if code is well written but lacks proper testing, it could still hide some defects which makes it hard to identify them during manual checks.

Think about a simple JavaScript function which checks whether the number is even:

function isEven(number) {

    return number % 2 === 0}

This function appears simple and reliable at first, but without the tests, we cannot be certain that it handles each and every type of input data. Tests written for this function would help identify otherwise unnoticed problems:

// isEven.cy.js

describe(‘isEven function’, () => {

    // Function that we want to test

    const isEven = (number) => number % 2 === 0;

    it(‘should return true for even numbers’, () => {

        expect(isEven(2)).to.be.true;

        expect(isEven(4)).to.be.true;

        expect(isEven(0)).to.be.true;

    });

    it(‘should return false for odd numbers’, () => {

        expect(isEven(1)).to.be.false;

        expect(isEven(3)).to.be.false;

        expect(isEven(-1)).to.be.false;

    });

    it(‘should return true for negative even numbers’, () => {

        expect(isEven(-2)).to.be.true;

        expect(isEven(-4)).to.be.true;

    });

});

Testing helps to make sure that all possible input scenarios are being handled correctly.

My name is Michael, and I am a Automated Quality Assurance engineer with a degree in programming science. After a year of working in web development, I realized that just writing code wasn’t enough to create a high-quality product. One day, when I was assigned to automate an application using Jest framework for JavaScript testing, I discovered how important testing is during the development process.

At first, I viewed this task solely as an unimportant chore that kept me away from doing “real” coding. The more I worked with tools such as Cypress, the more I was convinced that testing is not only a way of code validation, but also a necessary step in ensuring that the code is free from bugs and behaves as expected. Automated testing not only lightened my work but also gave me space to introduce quality improvements to the product.

Step by step, my new experience in testing became better, and it was one of the reasons why I got a job at Swan Software Solutions, Inc. where I am part of a team that actively uses modern testing methodologies such as Test-Driven Development (TDD) and Behavior-Driven Development (BDD).

TDD and BDD are two approaches that create a paradigm shift in the development of all software. TDD first sets the tests before writing the code that is going to be. Thus, a clear image of what the code operation is supposed to be is given, thereby guaranteeing maximum test coverage. Code is written only enough to pass the tests which result in more focused and efficient performance.

BDD, however, fleshes out that idea by covering the system’s behavior description in terms both technical and non-technical stakeholders can understand. Both the developers and the business analyzers or clients are now on the same page with respect to the end product and user requirements — that is, how they interact to each other.

After reviewing the above tips, I realized that in code checking out, it’s no longer pretty much checking if something works; it’s equally essential to develop software programming that clearly plays as expected. Testing has become a sizable a part of my tasks, shifting my attention from simply writing code to creating reliable products, which is important in present day IT trends.

Software testing is based closely on automation to discover faults early and save time on upkeep, thus enhancing the overall pleasantness of the product.

Automated checking out gives developers confidence while adding new capabilities, as it ensures that existing functionality stays intact and unaffected.

Moreover, regression exams may be conducted routinely with minimum time funding through automation. This is especially vital for massive tasks in which manual testing might be too time-consuming and costly. Therefore, automation testing trying out is essential for preserving high quality and precision in the production development.

At Swan Software Solutions, we work hard to develop high-quality applications to help our client succeed. To discover more about how we could help your company, schedule a free assessment.