From: Roy Sutton <roys@...>
Date: 2006-05-12T12:49:47+09:00
Subject: Re: A major ruby annoyance!

Eric Hodel wrote:
> On May 7, 2006, at 7:56 PM, Roy Sutton wrote:
>
>> Jim Freeze wrote:
>>> Try unit testing for a while and you will see. After doing
>>>   1) write code
>>>   2) write test
>>>   3) run test and see it succeed
>>>
>> I'm not sure why everyone automatically assumed he did not use unit 
>> testing.  Unit testing certainly can point out there -is- an error.  
>> The fix he proposes for his problem (typoing variable names) tells 
>> him -where- the problem is.  Unit tests can tell you generally where 
>> you problem is but it still takes the debugging work to step in and 
>> find out what -caused- the problem.  I think people are doing Talha a 
>> disservice by assuming that if he just tested better his problems 
>> would go away.
>
> My unit tests typically tell me which line my errors are on.  You 
> probably haven't written enough tests for your code or aren't writing 
> small enough chunks of code.
>
> The biggest change writing tests has done for my coding is to give me 
> smaller more descriptive methods rather than large methods that do too 
> much.  A method that is more than 10 lines long is probably wrong.  A 
> method that is more than 25 is most definitely wrong.
>
Just to clarify:  I was playing devils advocate for Talha.  I do write 
unit tests and have for many years.  I don't typo variable names 
(often).  It's a non-issue for me.  I was merely trying to re-express 
his idea for him.

Roy