The Pragmatic Programmer

by Andy Hunt

Functionality here does not necessarily mean end-user use cases. The database access layer counts, as does the help subsystem. We're looking for cohesive, largely self-contained teams of people—exactly the same criteria we should be using when we modularize code.

A great way to ensure both consistency and accuracy is to automate everything the team does. Why lay code out manually when your editor can do it automatically as you type? Why complete test forms when the overnight build can run tests automatically?

Test Early. Test Often. Test Automatically.

There are several major types of software testing that you need to perform: Unit testing Integration testing Validation and verification Resource exhaustion, errors, and recovery Performance testing Usability testing

Many projects tend to leave testing to the last minute—right where it will be cut against the sharp edge of a deadline.[8] We need to start much sooner than that. As soon as any production code exists, it needs to be tested.