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  • To TT Change Detector Tests

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    Alan Wolfe
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    The document discusses the problems with "change-detector tests" which are unit tests that merely check for changes to code without verifying correct behavior. Change-detector tests are derived directly from the code being tested and will fail for any change, whether it breaks functionality or not. This adds maintenance costs without catching defects. The document recommends rewriting or deleting such tests and instead focusing on tests that actually verify correct program behavior.

    Original Description:

    Test driven programming

    Original Title

    To Tt Change Detector Tests

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    The document discusses the problems with "change-detector tests" which are unit tests that merely check for changes to code without verifying correct behavior. Change-detector tests are derived directly from the code being tested and will fail for any change, whether it breaks functionality or not. This adds maintenance costs without catching defects. The document recommends rewriting or deleting such tests and instead focusing on tests that actually verify correct program behavior.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    Download as pdf or txt
    2 views1 page

    To TT Change Detector Tests

    Uploaded by

    Alan Wolfe
    The document discusses the problems with "change-detector tests" which are unit tests that merely check for changes to code without verifying correct behavior. Change-detector tests are derived directly from the code being tested and will fail for any change, whether it breaks functionality or not. This adds maintenance costs without catching defects. The document recommends rewriting or deleting such tests and instead focusing on tests that actually verify correct program behavior.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    of 1

    TestingontheToilet

    ChangeDetectorTestsConsideredHarmful

    Youhavejustfinishedrefactoringsomecodewithoutmodifyingitsbehavior.Thenyourunthetestsbefore
    committingandabunchofunittestsarefailing.
    Whilefixingthetests,yougetasensethatyouare
    wastingtimebymechanicallyapplyingthesametransformationtomanytests
    .Maybeyouintroduceda
    parameterinamethod,andnowmustupdate100callersofthatmethodinteststopassanemptystring.
    Whatdoesitlookliketowritetestsmechanically?
    Hereisanabsurdbutobviousway:
    //Productioncode:
    defabs(i:Int)
    return(i<0)?i*1:i

    //Testcode:
    for(line:StringinFile(prod_source).read_lines())
    switch(line.number)
    1:assertline.contentequalsdefabs(i:Int)
    2:assertline.contentequalsreturn(i<0)?i*1:i

    Thattestisclearlynotuseful
    :itcontainsanexactcopyofthecodeundertestandactslikeachecksum.
    A
    correctorincorrectprogramisequallylikelytopass
    atestthatisaderivativeofthecodeundertest.No
    oneisreallywritingtestslikethat,buthowdifferentisitfromthisnextexample?
    //Productioncode:
    defprocess(w:Work)
    firstPart.process(w)
    secondPart.process(w)

    //Testcode:
    part1=mock(FirstPart)
    part2=mock(SecondPart)
    w=Work()
    Processor(part1,part2).process(w)
    verify_in_order
    was_calledpart1.process(w)
    was_calledpart2.process(w)

    Itistemptingtowriteatestlikethisbecauseitrequireslittlethoughtandwillrunquickly.
    Thisisa
    changedetectortest

    itisatransformationofthesameinformationinthecodeundertest

    and
    itbreaks
    inresponseto
    any
    changetotheproductioncode,

    withoutverifyingcorrectbehavior
    ofeitherthe
    originalormodifiedproductioncode.

    Changedetectorsprovidenegativevalue
    ,sincethetestsdonotcatchanydefects,andtheadded
    maintenancecostslowsdowndevelopment.Thesetestsshouldberewrittenordeleted.
    Moreinformation,discussion,andarchives:
    http://googletesting.blogspot.com
    CopyrightGoogleInc.LicensedunderaCreativeCommons
    AttributionShareAlike4.0License(
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/bysa/4.0/
    ).

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