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Where did you learn to unit test? How did you learn?

Christopher Blunck blunck at gst.com
Wed Apr 30 22:22:05 EDT 2003 
"Nik H." <nNOSPAMhaldimann at gmx.ch> wrote in message news:<mailman.1051741964.7925.python-list at python.org>...
> Christopher Blunck wrote:
> > What advice can you offer on spreading the testing bug around?  
> 
> Teach it at universities.

Nik - I see you post from a .ch domain.  Are you referring to Swiss
universities?


> This is my first year as a comp sci major. I've been doing unit testing 
> before, and I was surprised that we've actually been taught how to write 
> unit tests right from the start in programming classes, along with other 
> agile concepts like iterative development and pair programming (alas 
> using Java not Python). It's interesting to see what effect this has on 
> people that have done little or none real software development before - 
> unit testing comes absolutely natural to them.

Such a subtle yet potent point.  If I knew how to unit test while in
college, I'd kick the living crap out of every computer science
project I was ever handed.  Part of my difficulty in learning to
program (and this related to a significant amount of stress) was *not
knowing* why something did or did not work.  It was infuriated to see
a block of code I thought worked fail under a particular scenario. 
Was it the block of code or was it something that called that block of
code?  If only I had known about unit testing back then I could've
gotten straight As.  Well maybe not, but I certainly would've done
better than I actually did.  But that's a Monday morning quaterback
type statement to make, so I'll retract it.

I am happy you brought this point out tho, as I think it is quite
applicable...


> I read some accounts on universities still teaching the waterfall model 
> and stuff. So this post is meant as a heads up. There might be a new 
> generation of programmers with mad unit testing skills on the rise. <wink>

Can't wait for you all to get on the market.  ;-)
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