Test the interface, not the implementation

In yesterday’s post, I mentioned that unit tests should test the interface and not the implementation. This is the simplest example I could think of to demonstrate this…

Posted on 5 February 2010 | 2 comments | continue reading

Why write the unit tests first?

At work today, a colleague and I did a presentation to the rest of the team on Test Driven Development. At BrightTALK we’ve been using unit tests for some of our code for a few months now, but it’s been very much a case of writing tests after writing the code. Often, it’s just after (write the code, then write the test) but still, the code came first. A couple of months ago I persuaded the Flash/Flex team to try writing the tests first. They found it difficult for the first few days, but rapidly got up to speed and are now very enthusiastic about writing tests first. So we hosted this presentation/discussion with the whole team, Actionscript, PHP and Java developers, to discuss Test Driven Development. One thing I really wanted to convey to them were the benefits of writing the test first. These are the five main benefits as I see them…

Posted on 4 February 2010 | 5 comments | continue reading

The iPad is not a computer

I waited a few days before writing about the iPad. Apple product launches tend to contain some surprises and I wanted a little time for reflection before commenting.

My considered opinion: the iPad is a revolutionary device, because it’s not a computer. The iPad isn’t for writing, it’s for reading. It’s not for making films, its for watching films. It’s not for developing software, it’s for using software. The iPad is a consumer device. What makes the iPad revolutionary is its single-minded focus on media consumption…

Posted on 30 January 2010 | 8 comments | continue reading

New Year, New Domain

Since I accepted my current job at BrightTALK and closed down my company, Big Room, I’ve also moved my domain. This site is now hosted at richardlord.net rather than bigroom.co.uk. All links to the previous domain should redirect to the new domain – please let me know if any don’t.

This blog was always about my personal work experiences, and will continue to be so. While I will, at times, blog about work we’re doing at BrightTALK, please remember that this is still a personal blog and opinions I express are mine and not necessarily those of BrightTALK.

Have a great New Year.

Posted on 2 January 2010 | no comments