Pattern 6: Automate testing ***
AKA:

Back to Diagram 1 - Getting started Back to Diagram 2 - Useability Back to Diagram 3 - Adding detail Back to Diagram 4 - Workflow/security

View sensitizing image - Diego Riveira mural
Production line

You are using TIMEBOXES (4) and GRADUAL STIFFENING (5) to manage the project.

This means frequent changes and refactoring of code and design. How do you control the costs of such changes while maintaining quality and usability?

Therefore

Refactor continuously. Use automated test tools wherever possible. Make sure that you apply the tests to all browsers that might be used, including TWO-YEAR OLD BROWSER (10) versions for public sites. Retest at every incremental change to the code or layout and RETEST WHEN CONTENT UPDATED (9).

You just cannot test things like left/right button usage consistency or many other aspects of usability automatically. Therefore do USABILITY TESTING (7) and GET-IT? (8) tests early in the project and after each significant refactoring.

Discussion - forces - known uses

This is another process pattern that could apply equally well to non-web projects.

It is a principle of XP that if testing is good, then everyone should test all the time. XP is thus said to be test-driven and defines simplicity as ‘just enough code to make all the tests work’. Unit tests and key-task tests should be based on known use cases. XP also uses the output from its short cycles to refactor code. Examples of refactoring include creating a superclass to abstract common features, creating new plug-points, splitting classes or methods into two, and renaming components to be more descriptive. Refactoring HTML might involve introducing cascading style sheets, removing frames, changing the SITE MAP (12) or changing the navigation. Doing all these things frequently relies on the presence of automated testing tools, of course.
Fowler (1999) describes well the techniques necessary for refactoring code. Dynamic binding technology, like that supplied by MetaDyne, makes refactoring in real time possible.

For regression testing a number of tools is available. There are now some products that automate stress testing such as SafeTest (www.attenda.com). For Java work many companies currently use Junit for unit testing and Ant (which I understand is free) for integration tests. Junit and Ant are described well at:
www-106.ibm.com/developerworks/library/j-ant/

Browse the language What is Wu? Look at an example pattern sequence Structure of the patterns
Comment on Wu Contributors Return to TriReme home page Links to related sites