Re: Unit tests and parameter validation

Those i.e.s should have been e.g.s and by "customer doesn't expect an
error" I meant customer expects not to see an error... That's what I get
for writing emails at the bar

On Tuesday, October 15, 2013, Adam Sroka wrote:

> If a customer expects an error (i.e. I put in the wrong number, oops) test
> for it. If a customer doesn't expect an error (i.e. WTF does "500 server
> error" mean, and how do I get this job done?) test for it. Anything else,
> YAGNI, until you actually see it fail in exploratory testing, then test
> for it.
>
> On Tuesday, October 15, 2013, Ron Jeffries wrote:
>
>> **
>>
>>
>> Eb,
>>
>> On Oct 15, 2013, at 12:03 PM, Eb <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>> I'm curious to know thoughts on writing tests that specify the behavior
>> of a method when its inputs are incorrect.  Is this a common practice.  How
>> about parameter validation in this case?  Having some healthy debate on it
>> and wanted to get other insight.
>>
>> The context for this in a class/methods that are used within an internal
>> application - this is not an API that will be publicly exposed to external
>> consumers.
>>
>>
>> Generally speaking, I do not check arguments for correctness. If I am
>> building the entire app via TDD, the code that calls the method is already
>> tested, and therefore in fact calls with correct arguments.
>>
>> If the method in question is potentially harmful, then I will be more
>> inclined to cause it to protect itself, and I would generally test that.
>>
>> This approach generally works for me. My experience is that "defensive"
>> code generally makes the program much larger, increases its complexity, and
>> since the defensive code is both arcane and hard to test, it usually
>> embodies a disproportionate number of defects.
>>
>> So I focus on writing correct code, not code that lives in fear of its
>> neighbors.
>>
>> Ron Jeffries
>> www.XProgramming.com <http://www.xprogramming.com>
>> I have two cats, and a big house full of cat stuff.
>> The cats fight and divide up the house, messing up their own lives.
>> Nice work cats.
>> Meow.
>>
>>  
>>
>