[FSoC] Unit/functional tests and continuous integration
Hi,
Few more suggestions:
In Test Driven Development (TDD), we write test cases first, and then
write the code to make the tests pass. So, when using Agile
methodologies, I urge you to write unit/functional test cases. This is
helpful:
- As it gives motivation for you to write code to pass the tests.
- Setup continuous integration [1] builds that re-run the test cases
at periodic intervals, to make sure one hasn't broken anything. If
anything breaks, the result of the tests should be sent via e-mail to
the list, or the concerned team members.
- When you refactor code, you can re-run the tests to make sure your
logic hasn't been affected.
- Please use rails_rcov [2] (or any other related tool) to see the
code coverage of your test cases.
- In a production system, you can run these test cases on the test
database to make sure everything is fine, before switching to the
production database. This can save you lot of time troubleshooting
problems, if there exists any.
If you are looking for specific gems, you can refer the Ruby Toolbox
[3]. Bookmark the same.
SK
[1] Continuous Integration.
http://martinfowler.com/articles/continuousIntegration.html
[2] rails_rcov. http://agilewebdevelopment.com/plugins/rails_rcov
[3] Ruby Toolbox. http://ruby-toolbox.com/
--
Shakthi Kannan
http://www.shakthimaan.com