TWIMC: tests using random and current time

[juan_gandhi]

 So, if you think you call a function in your code, and this function returns current time, or a random number... IT'S NOT A FUNCTION. Your code is function of "random number", or "time".

So, if your code is written as something that retrieves this kind of data, to test your code, you should provide that data. Not just today, but try the time, like 10 years from now. As to "random", You provide the randomness. If your code cannot be fixed to behave as a function of those inputs, make your "random stream" or "time stream" not hard-coded, but substitutable. Mockable. And mock it in your tests. MAKE SURE that you don't provide just happy-path data. Provide anything. A sequence of 100 numbers 4 for random. Time that is 10 years from now. Or even 30 yeas from now.

Make sure that your tests don't depend on anything. Because test Must Be Reproducible.

All these things, I know, are obvious to some, and not obvious to others.

If you still have questions, ask. But don't argue. Because what I say is math. Unless you have another math (some people do), or another logic (there's plenty of them), please don't argue.

I'd be glad to see how all this changes if logic is e.g. linear. 

 

Comments

Re: What to test in time-dependent function?

[dennisgorelik]

> нужно стремиться к тому, чтобы риск от усложнения всего сервиса был не больше чем риск от усложнения функции TimeToGreeting.

Это какая-то странная цель.

Если я очень сильно увеличу риск от усложнения функции TimeToGreeting, то ваша цель вполне может быть достигнута, верно?
Но непонятно, зачем нужно достигать такую странную цель.

Re: What to test in time-dependent function?

[mikkim08]

Конечно, хотелось бы снизить риск от усложнения сервиса, а не увеличить риск от усложнения функции TimeToGreeting.