Intermediate Perl, 2nd Edition

Chapter 14. Introduction to Testing

In Chapter 13, we created a new Perl distribution, modified some modules, and added a program to our distribution. Since we have a full-fledged distribution at the start of our development, we can immediately start using Perl’s extensive testing framework. Indeed, we already have some starter tests.

Now it’s time to look morely closely at the tests already in the distribution and create some more of our own. As we continue to develop our modules, the tests will keep us on the right path.

Why Should We Test?

Why should we test during development? The short answer is that we find out about problems sooner and tests force us to program in much smaller chunks (since they are easier to test), which is generally good programming practice. Although we may think we have extra work to do, that’s only short-term overhead because we win down the line when we spend less time debugging, both because we’ve fixed most of the problems before they were problems and because the tests usually point us right at the problem we need to fix.

Along with that, it’s psychologically easier to modify code because the tests will tell us if we broke something. When we talk to our boss or coworkers, we also have the confidence in our code to answer their queries and questions. The tests tell us how healthy our code is.

We’re never really done testing, either. Even when the module ships, we shouldn’t abandon the test suite! Unless we code the mythical “bug-free module,” our users ...