Testing Discipline

Overview

A good test pins the contract, uses concrete examples, names the scenario in domain language, and uses test data safe to show a customer. Run the checklist in order when writing or reviewing a test.

When to invoke

Invoke when you're about to:

• Write a new test (unit, integration, end-to-end, characterization)
• Name or rename a test method, test class, or test file
• Design a fixture, mock, stub, or shared test helper
• Choose test data — names, IDs, sample strings, sample numbers
• Decide what to assert in a test (exact value? structural property? both?)
• Schedule a long-running suite (soak, perf, cross-platform matrix)
• Hand off requirements between programmers and testers, or work on acceptance tests
• Review existing tests for quality, coverage gaps, or test smells
• Evaluate whether a test suite adequately covers a contract