So writing tests feels painful. What now?

When you write tests, you are interacting with your code. Like any user experience, you may encounter friction. Stubbing endless methods to get to green. Fixing unrelated spec files after a minor change. Rather than push on, let this tedium guide you toward better software design.

With examples in RSpec, this talk will take you step-by-step from a troublesome test to an informed refactor. Join me in learning how to attune to the right signals and manage complexity familiar to any Rails developer. You’ll leave with newfound inspiration to write clear, maintainable tests in peace. Your future self will thank you!

Transcript

4. Testing is a struggle. I don’t know what to do about it.
5. Paying attention Finding agency Shaping change
6. Petre n
15. Paying attention
19. So… what now?
20. What are tests for?
21. Finding agency
28. 1. Class & method under test
29. 1. Class & method under test 2. Constructor arguments
30. 1. Class & method under test 2. Constructor arguments 3. Side effect
45. What have we done so far? Made explicit the data required for the method under test
46. What have we done so far? Made explicit the data required for the method under test Unearthed coupling to Stripe via subscription
47. What have we done so far? Made explicit the data required for the method under test Unearthed coupling to Stripe via subscription Learned how trials are started
49. Move at the speed of trust in your tests.
51. Responsiblities of #upgrade 1. Starts a trial 2. Determines if membership has a subscription 3. Constructs subscription 4. Updates subscription 5. Sends notification 6. Updates membership
53. Shaping change
62. Wrap Method Create Seam Tell, Don’t Ask
66. “The biggest obstacle to improvement in large code bases is the existing code. But I’m not talking about how hard it is to work in difficult code; I’m talking about what that code leads you to believe.” — Michael Feathers, Working Effectively with Legacy Code
68. Petre n
71. Books • Ruby Science - thoughtbot • Practical Object-Oriented Design - Sandi Metz • Sustainable Rails - David Bryant Copeland • Rails Test Prescriptions - Noel Rappin • Growing Object-Oriented Software Guided by Tests - Steve Freeman & Nat Pryce Talks • Therapeutic Refactoring - Katrina Owen • Refactoring from Good to Great - Ben Orenstein
72. The Timeless Way of Building by Christopher Alexander A quality without a name
73. “Pretending that something doesn’t exist if it’s hard to quantify leads to faulty models. Human beings have been endowed not only with the ability to count, but also with the ability to assess quality.” — Donella Meadows, Thinking in Systems
74. Stephanie Minn thoughtbot So writing tests feels painful. What now? The Bike Shed
75. Thank you!