The Pragmatic Programmer

by Andy Hunt

Tip 62 Test Early. Test Often. Test Automatically.

Tip 63 Coding Ain't Done 'Til All the Tests Run

Unit testing Integration testing Validation and verification Resource exhaustion, errors, and recovery Performance testing Usability testing

If the parts don't work by themselves, they probably won't work well together.

Tip 64 Use Saboteurs to Test Your Testing

Tip 65 Test State Coverage, Not Code Coverage

Tip 66 Find Bugs Once

Treat English as Just Another Programming Language

Tip 68 Build Documentation In, Don't Bolt It On

Remember that you (and others after you) will be reading the code many hundreds of times, but only writing it a few times. Take the time to spell out connectionPool instead of cp.

Tip 69 Gently Exceed Your Users' Expectations

Balloon or ToolTip help Keyboard shortcuts A quick reference guide as a supplement to the user's manual Colorization Log file analyzers Automated installation Tools for checking the integrity of the system The ability to run multiple versions of the system for training A splash screen customized for their organization

Tip 70 Sign Your Work

We want to see pride of ownership. "I wrote this, and I stand behind my work." Your signature should come to be recognized as an indicator of quality. People should see your name on a piece of code and expect it to be solid, well written, tested, and documented. A really professional job. Written by a real professional. A Pragmatic Programmer.