TDD Revisited

Jon Limjap
MVP for Visual C#
 What is TDD?

Using unit tests to design software

Allows change in code without fear of
changing functionality

Produces loosely coupled objects and
methods with single responsibilities

Unit tests are just side effects: main point
is DESIGN
 What is TDD not?

Substitute for QA testing

Necessarily means successful project

Silver bullet
Mindset
 Red

New code

Write test before implementing class

Internal workings of classes and methods
should not matter

Existing code

Write test to reproduce bug
 Green

Write least possible code to pass all tests

Take shortcuts if necessary
 Refactor!

Applies to both implementation code and
test code

Change code without changing
functionality (ergo, without introducing
bugs)

Remove implementation shortcuts – make
sure software design is sound/follows
tenets of OOP

Optimize for
design/performance/maintainability
Rinse and repeat
 Writing tests

Think about how you want to express
your code and intentions

Think about inputs, and intended output

Separate small, isolated areas of
functionality
 Arrange, Act, Assert

Arrange all necessary preconditions and
inputs

Act on the object or method under test

Assert that the expected results have
occurred
 How to test in isolation?

Stubs

Method returns a specified result, e.g.,
property getter returns a constant value

Mocks

Asserting that a certain method has been
called within a test

Test checks for the method call, not the
result, but some tests check for both
 What about the DB?

Integration tests

Make sure everything works together

Also applies to the file system, web services,
etc., ergo, everything that can fail without
you knowing
Integration testing sucks
because...

Fragile Tests

Depends on state of external system

Breakage cause lost confidence on tests –
even if it's not the tests' fault

Usually leaves artifacts behind (files,
orphaned DB data)
Demo
AAA, Stubs, Mocks, & integration testing
using MbUnit and Rhino Mocks 3.5