Comments on: Outsourcing and Test Driven Development http://blog.geekmanager.co.uk/2007/10/21/outsourcing-and-test-driven-development/ Mon, 08 Sep 2008 07:57:33 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: Meri http://blog.geekmanager.co.uk/2007/10/21/outsourcing-and-test-driven-development/#comment-9110 Meri Mon, 22 Oct 2007 08:27:40 +0000 http://blog.geekmanager.co.uk/2007/10/21/outsourcing-and-test-driven-development/#comment-9110 Hi Ed. The approach I use tends to be blended -- unit tests written by developers/QA, as you advocate, but with a suite of acceptance tests run regularly by business specialists. Even if they are running the tests manually, the time investment is worth it to get quick feedback on whether the enhancements being built are what is needed. Obviously this approach is more usable when enhancing existing software, but I think functionality demos can be used when initially prototyping software to get the same sort of customer acceptance feedback. Hi Ed. The approach I use tends to be blended — unit tests written by developers/QA, as you advocate, but with a suite of acceptance tests run regularly by business specialists. Even if they are running the tests manually, the time investment is worth it to get quick feedback on whether the enhancements being built are what is needed.

Obviously this approach is more usable when enhancing existing software, but I think functionality demos can be used when initially prototyping software to get the same sort of customer acceptance feedback.

]]> By: Ed Gibbs http://blog.geekmanager.co.uk/2007/10/21/outsourcing-and-test-driven-development/#comment-9102 Ed Gibbs Mon, 22 Oct 2007 04:01:36 +0000 http://blog.geekmanager.co.uk/2007/10/21/outsourcing-and-test-driven-development/#comment-9102 I think the focus on TDD is great. One note of caution though on talking about the customer creating the test suite. Unit tests are almost always purely a developer level practice, possibly with some enlightened QA staff. Customer level acceptence tests are another matter entirely. Higher level functionality expressed as tests are typically concendered acceptence tests. You can do Acceptence Test Driven Development or Story Driven Development using tools like FIT/Fitnesse, but its really a different animal than tightly focused developer unit tests written as the code is being worked out. Done right TDD is often much more about evolutionary design rather than testing. You might want to look into RSpec or JBehave for aspects of that. I think the focus on TDD is great. One note of caution though on talking about the customer creating the test suite. Unit tests are almost always purely a developer level practice, possibly with some enlightened QA staff. Customer level acceptence tests are another matter entirely.

Higher level functionality expressed as tests are typically concendered acceptence tests. You can do Acceptence Test Driven Development or Story Driven Development using tools like FIT/Fitnesse, but its really a different animal than tightly focused developer unit tests written as the code is being worked out.

Done right TDD is often much more about evolutionary design rather than testing. You might want to look into RSpec or JBehave for aspects of that.

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