Given the original question where the poster is catching up with his legacy code, which implies no experience doing TDD, the Saff's technique seems to be overkill that discourages getting started.? Keep it simple until enough experience?is gained to warrant getting more sophisticated.
On Tue, Mar 29, 2022 at 9:16 AM Alan Baljeu via <alanbaljeu=
[email protected]> wrote:
This looks like a useful method.? Another approach I learned as the Mikado method:?
1. Write a failing test.
2. Change the code to pass it.
3. If you can't _simply_ do this, then:
a. identify where you get stuck
b. revert
c. refactor so you're not stuck, and goto 1 (or 2).
In the context to match Saff's technique, the refactoring would slowly expose the heart of the troublesome code until the problem is identified and solved.? That said, I can see Saff's route may be more efficient at times.? It especially looks useful if the problem ultimately lies in a 3rd party's library and you need to send a small failing test for them to fix your problem.
On Monday, March 28, 2022, 05:28:05 p.m. EDT, Rodolfo Carvalho <
rhcarvalho@...> wrote:
Hi Alan,
On Mon, Mar 28, 2022 at 7:54 PM Alan Baljeu via <alanbaljeu=
[email protected]> wrote:
I'm confused by language in that post.? I think "commit" means locally post to Source control your newly changed code.??
[...]
- > A) Maybe squash all these commits, [...]
In other words, delete the commit and TDD a new test which we make pass.
- > B) Throw away all those commits, then test-drive the missing behavior using the notes [...]
In other words, delete the commit and TDD a new test which we make pass.
Do you see my confusion?
I see how this can be confusing.
The difference is in case A you don't simply "delete" commits, "squashing" means you replace several commits with a single commit that applies the same patch as all the previous commits together.
In this case, you accept that you're done and change history for the sake of having a clean history without the step-by-step commits.
Conversely, in case B you indeed throw away commits, and rely solely on the fresh knowledge to do it all again. You may or may not end up with the same patch as in case A.
Cheers,
Rodolfo Carvalho
