So I’ve started learning iOS development since November last year. I chose a course to follow and quickly found out that the course had ZERO lessons on testing. Once or twice the teacher said the word testing, but her actions weren’t testing at all. It was just trying out one path in the app and saying it was testing. We know better. I was slightly annoyed.
This morning I was triggered again because a well known person in the iOS community has made a video on how to become an iOS dev in 2021 and testing isn’t even in the list of core skills. Just watch a couple minutes from the video here, I linked it so it starts at the correct time.
The way he talks about testing triggers me because:
- he seems to talk about testing as if it’s only automated tests
- he seems to be only talking about unit testing
- he shares something I’ve heard from many developers I’ve worked with over the years: it’s just not fun to write tests. He calls it as fun as flossing your teeth.
And I’m like, yeah, if this is your understanding of testing no wonder you aren’t having fun. I’ve learned to write unit tests somewhere last week and I can think of nicer things to do. I like exploratory testing more.
But whatever, the point of this post is two-fold.
- I feel like communities are too isolated. I’m in the testing and iOS dev community now, but I feel like there’s so much room for awesome collaborations, like a meet-up takeover or something. What can we do?
- How can we quickly make clear to developers that testing is so much more than verifying expected results. It’s so much more than finding out if your code is okay. Does anyone have a short video or article that we can send his way? Something that explains the essence of testing for developers.
I’m a bit annoyed to find myself in this position again because frankly, what I disliked a lot when I was a tester was trying to change developers perception about testing. It cost me a lot of energy with (what I felt) very little pay-off. I don’t like to be in the business of changing people’s minds, but on the other hand I feel like there’s a lot to win in this area. That’s why I’m asking your ideas, thoughts, etc, about this. I can’t do this alone and I don’t want to.