2 months ago
- Test-first fundamentalism began as an invitation to better software practice but became a rigid and harmful doctrine over time.
- The author experienced a cycle of pride and despair trying to adhere strictly to test-first, often hiding non-adherence publicly.
- TDD opened the author's eyes to automated regression testing, but they have moved beyond its design dogma and no longer practice test-first.
- The author suggests rebalancing testing focus from unit tests to system tests, as excessive unit testing can lead to overly complex architectures.
- Rails can aid in transitioning to system tests, with tools like Capybara, though community deprogramming from TDD identity will take time.
- The author warns against adopting another testing religion, advocating for honoring TDD's contributions while moving forward with a more balanced approach.