Ensure modular code perfection! Dive deeper into the definitive guide to hiring unit testing developers, strengthening software reliability one unit at a time.
Driven by software developers themselves rather than quality assurance (QA) staff, unit testing has become much more than a “nice to have” element of the software development life cycle (SDLC). Now, technology professionals around the world recognize the importance of this critical phase in ensuring the quality of all types of software.
The good news is that for several decades, software professionals have had the option to automate unit testing, making it more efficient and less time-consuming.
Unit testing should be a requirement for all software developers, helping them ensure the accuracy of their code from the start of the SDLC. So how do you find someone equipped with the skills to pull it off?
What is unit testing?
Through unit testing, the software developer tests small pieces of code – units – in complete isolation from the rest of the product. This allows the developer to see if and how that unit is functioning independently of the larger system. It is a type of testing that occurs at the beginning of the SDLC, before later rounds of quality control testing. It is typically performed by the developer rather than QA testers.
Developers perform unit tests to detect defects before they escalate and interfere with the system later in the process. It also gives the developer a sense of how the code works in different circumstances.
What is test driven development?
Test-driven development (TDD) reverses the software development process by starting the development phase with testing, rather than saving all testing until after coding. The approach means that developers use test cases to validate code and identify problems as early as possible. They continue scripting test cases until they can allow the code to pass successfully.
Essentially, this approach is a form of unit testing. It also allows the developer to test the code in isolation.
Manual versus automated testing
The advent of automated testing has changed the way all testing, including unit testing, is performed. Instead of having to do this manually – or entirely performed by a human – professionals can create test cases to automate the work, allowing developers and QA analysts to free up time and effort.
Most unit tests are automated, although there may be cases where manual manipulation is necessary.
Interview Questions
Why is unit testing important?
Unit testing has become fundamental to the SDLC. When components or units are tested in isolation, software developers can better understand how the code behaves and validate its quality. It also allows developers to identify problems early so they can fix them before they affect the entire product, when they are most difficult to fix. This saves time and money.
Additionally, unit testing helps:
- Ensure code accuracy
- Documentation efforts
- Simplify the entire development process
- Make integration easy
- Improve performance
What does a good unit test look like?
An ideal unit test should:
- Be automated
- Be reproducible
- Be fast and efficient
- Run in memory
- Remain independent of external factors in total isolation
- Does not cause side effects
- Be descriptive
- Be easy to maintain
- Produce consistent results
- Run in any specific order within the sequence of other tests
- Be readable
What does AAA mean?
AAA stands for organize, act and assert. The pattern is a unit testing pattern that says developers should separate their testing strategy into these three sections. Each of the organize, act, and assert aspects is responsible only for that specific section. Ultimately, the AAA standard helps make tests more readable.
What is JUnit?
JUnit is an open source unit testing framework intended specifically for testing Java code. It is often used as part of test-driven development, encouraging developers to test before coding. It helps facilitate a smoother code writing process.
What are some other tools used in unit testing?
Unit testing frameworks and tools help developers create scripts and conduct unit tests, facilitating a more efficient, productive, and smooth process. Common tools include:
- ABAP Unit
- Embed
- Emma
- HTML Unit
- Jasmine
- JMockit
- JTest
- Karma
- Microsoft Unit
- Mocha
- NUunity
- Parasoft
- PHP Unit
- Simple Test
- TestNG
- Simulated type
- Unit
What is the difference between unit testing and integration testing?
Unit testing and integration testing are two important parts of SDLC and quality assurance processes. However, they are not the same thing. Some important differences are:
- Unit tests are conducted by developers while integration tests are conducted by QA testers.
- Unit testing occurs at the beginning of the SDLC, while integration testing occurs before comprehensive testing but after unit testing.
- Unit testing concerns individual units of code, and integration testing combines components and evaluates the tested units as a group.
- Unit testing is white box and integration testing is black box.
Job description
We are looking for an experienced and motivated software developer to join our team. You will lead a range of activities within the software development lifecycle, including conceptualizing and building software, gathering requirements, and performing unit testing, among other efforts. You will also be responsible for fixing bugs and generally providing high-quality software.
Responsibilities
- Collection and research requirements
- Work collaboratively with the software development and quality assurance team
- Plan and conduct unit tests, using additional frameworks and tools
- Identify and fix bugs
- Ensure the quality and consistency of all software
- Develop best practices for the SDLC
- Work in an agile environment
- Create documentation
Skills and qualifications
- At least 6 years of experience as a software developer
- At least 5 years of experience with unit testing
- Knowledge of unit testing tools such as JUnit
- Knowledge of programming languages, including Java, JavaScript, Python, C and C++
- Experience working in an agile environment
- Experience working in a TDD environment
- Strong collaborative, written and verbal communication skills, problem solving and analytical skills
- Bachelor's degree in computer science or related field
