From: Rick DeNatale <rick.denatale@...>
Date: 2007-06-13T23:08:28+09:00
Subject: Re: Unit testing idiom

On 6/13/07, Alex Young <alex@blackkettle.org> wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> It's always bothered me having code and unit tests in different places -
>   keeping unit tests near the code they are testing *has* to be a good
> thing, right?

I don't know that I agree with your premise.  While it might seem
convenient  to combine tests with the artifacts they test, in general
I think that separating them is a good thing.

Having separate tests acts as a sort of double-entry bookkeeping
system.  If they are combined there's the possbility of 'cooking the
books' either deliberately or unintentionally.

For simple things, such as trying something out, or demonstrating your
ruby-foo on posts here, combining the tests and code being tested
might be alright, but I think it's an idea best used in moderation.
For anything larger, I'd advocate for setting up a system for locating
the test code, such as the directory structure used by Rails.

-- 
Rick DeNatale

My blog on Ruby
http://talklikeaduck.denhaven2.com/