If we want unit testing to be done for every single application that is ever written, or if we want unit testing to become the defacto way of writing code, then the teachers need to start using it to teach. I don't mean those school marms in the university or the old ladies teaching in high school, I mean the guys that write articles about how to use Java technologies.
Most novice developers learn from reading articles in JavaWorld, ONJava and IBM's Developer Works. Most of the articles don't include unit tests for the sample applications that they build. I think there was one in the JDJ a while back about command line processing that had unit tests, but that was it. If the guru's of the world (I hope that is who is writing the articles) want the novices of the world to start using unit testing, test driven development or even test first... then they need to start teaching in that manner.
The problem is that new developers don't know the thought process of how to start doing TDD. Otherwise I am sure they would be more than willing to use it. Sometimes we have to spoon feed those less fortunate souls who have feeble brains (like myself :).
Posted by carl at July 16, 2004 10:10 AM
The sample app in Spring Live is developed using TDD and the tutorials for AppFuse are written in a test-first style. I hope I'm doing my part. ;-)
Posted by: Matt Raible at July 16, 2004 10:28 AM
Matt, you have always provided good tests for your apps :) I really hope I wasn't coming across as fussy, it was more of a plea for the other authors to be more like Matt.
Posted by: Carl Fyffe at July 16, 2004 12:04 PM
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