Managing Code

Do you write code locally for personal use/reference? If the answer is yes, then this post is for you. For others, it may be worth still to read it.

I have been working on a set of projects for last few weeks. Today, I wanted to make some major and possibly destructive changes to the code base. Before I started to change code, I took a backup of the local folder into another folder so that I have a revert point. At this point it hit me – I am missing version control, that I enjoy in my corporate world.

I dropped everything and started to setup my laptop with the version control. I did the following:

1. Downloaded SmartSVN or TortoiseSVN as subversion client and install on your machine.’

2. Download Subversion client for windows from http://subversion.tigris.org/servlets/ProjectDocumentList?folderID=8100

3. Downoad Apache HTTP server to front-end the subversion server from http://subversion.tigris.org/servlets/ProjectDocumentList?folderID=91

4. Install svn client and apache. Steps are simple and can be found with the downloads.

5. Configure Apache wotk with SVN. Read the post http://svnbook.red-bean.com/en/1.0/ch06s04.html

6. Start Apache and hit http://localhost:80/svn/. Provide a different port number in case you changed the apache configurations.

7. Create a local repository on your hard disk by using the command line “svnadmin create foo”. This will create a repository in the same folder from where you ran the command.

8. Open a browser and type http://localhost:80/svn/foo. This will show a repository view to you.

Whola, you have your code base in repository. Enjoy it!!

Is Defect a defect when not defined in a Test Script?

This question came up during an email thread that I had with some testers. Most of the testers had the view that a defect can be a defect even if it has not been defined in a test script, while I said that this is not true. The conversation went like this:

Tester: We can not put every scenario in a test script

ME: Yes you can

Tester: Can not because we can not think of scenarios while writing test scripts

ME: Then you should. Testers also think when they are testing, so what stops them from thinking when they are creating test scripts

Tester: It is not possible and also it is not feasible

ME: Not possible, I will disagree. Let us focus on the Not Feasible part

Tester: It becomes very difficult to document everything as then the scripts will run into multiple pages and maintaining them would be an overhead

ME That is not reason enough not to capture all that can be in a test script. You have to accept the fact that a test script can be incorrect. For a defect to be a defect, it has to be mapped against a missing requirement that should come from a document that can a client would have provided. If you can not provide a document/reference for the missing functionality, then there is not reason you can call it a defect. It is fine to log it as a TAR and discuss as a change request, but a defect i do not agree to.

Beyond this point, I started finding testers fumbling for words. No one out there could give me a solid answer to convince me. What are your views on the same? I blogged about why do i do unit testing and why do i feel we can cover all the scope in a test script. We developers do that for Unit testing, why can testers not?

Why do I Test?

Most of you who would read this would have done some level of testing in their programming career. Many of you would appreciate the fact that unit testing exists in the world.

Analogy that works for me is that in real life, I test all the time. I test so much that it has become a habit so much so, that I now do not even realize that I am testing. If I think about it, I can site many examples. The reason I test so often is because I want to be sure that things will work when I need them to.

When I became a programmer, I found myself doing that same just out of habit of testing everything. Since I started to code, I have come across may programmers who have reasons not to test and they resist testing al their life. Once they find themselves in a the arena of no testing, they enjoy and as per them are most productive. As for me, there have been times, when I have not tested myself, and I have been productive as well, but I have always found that the applications that I design/code with writing tests end up being prototypes.

I see many benefits of testing, and thats the reason when I start a project, I make sure that the first thing that is done is to setup an integrated unit testing tool for me to write my tests. In other words, without unit tests, I do not trust my own code and I would not even go into changing it – I can never know after a few changes if I broke something. Unit tests act as an umbrella that saves you from a downpour for defects in the application.

Passing my code along to a new developer has been a challenge. Ever tried giving a new programmer a code walk through. I tried test walk through and it has been a wonderful experience. They understood the code once and were able to start coding faster. I like to call my tests as API documentation for my code.

I have been unit testing in projects for last 3.5 years now and always I have found in a later stage how valuable those tests were. Coming to Flex, I started to find similar options and Flex Cover was the answer. Simple to get started and now very soon I would have my testing suite for Flex as well.

Eager to hear what your experience have been.

Testing Flex applications

Borland has announced the latest version of its Silk testing tool.