Start Writing Unit Tests!

It helps when you test your code.

Software development is a difficult process.  It is filled with trial and error.  Developers must contend with vague requirements and impossible timelines.  It explains why the profession has a high failure rate.  I think we can do a better job and today I would like to discuss the easiest way to help reduce failure.

When I first learned about software development, the notion of software testing was primitive.  Often software testers manually went through the software attempting to find bugs.  It was a tedious and time-consuming process.  Automated testing began to pop up in the world of JAVA and then spread to the Microsoft world.  At first, developers chaffed at writing unit tests calling it extra work and unnecessary. 

After the initial resistance, the engineers and developers began to see the importance of unit tests.  Unit tests ensured the code functioned when checked back into source control.  It also made sure a change in one part of the code would not break a different portion of code.  Automated testing had another impact.  Manual testing became unnecessary and if freed up people to deliver more value in the organization. 

Automated testing not only cut back manual tests, but it also makes the release of software faster.  What usually would take three weeks to release could now take as little as three weeks.  Thus, automated unit testing reduced labor overhead improved the quality of software and increased the time to market for software.  Instead of chaffing at writing a unit test, the real question is why you haven’t started writing them.

Until next time.