Re: Unit tests and parameter validation

Exactly, bad habit! LOL.

Thanks Adam.


On Tue, Oct 15, 2013 at 8:33 PM, Adam Sroka <[email protected]> wrote:

> **
>
>
> 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.
>>>
>>>     
>



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