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How do I convince my company to add tests for FE? (sh.itjust.works)
submitted 2 years ago by to c/programming@programming.dev
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We are in a very funny situation where I just spent two weeks fixing FE bugs and there are so many left. I asked to add integration tests but the answer was “no”, cause we can’t test the UI and all of that.

So the proposed solution was to be more careful, except I’m careful but testing whole website parts or the whole website is not feasible. What can I do?

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[–] 8 points 2 years ago (3 children)

Just add them. You're a developer and automated testing is one of our tools. A woodworker wouldn't ask permission to sand.

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  • [–] [S] 3 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Then I will be scolded for wasting time adding tests

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  • [–] 4 points 2 years ago* (1 child)

    Sounds like you need to answer back with numbers.

    Calculate how much time is needed for writing tests.

    Then calculate how much time was spent writing ineffective code, then add the amount of time it took to rewrite that same code.

    I guarantee the latter amount will be more.

    Bonus points if you can calculate the amount of money lost from an unavailable application, then add in the amount of money lost from the confidence your customers are losing in that app.

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  • [–] 2 points 2 years ago

    How do you calculate those numbers though?

    It's not like your colleagues will be keeping track of how much time they've wasted writing ineffective code. If anything, they'll try to hide that by arbitrarily inflating sprint points etc.

    I've worked in environments like that and the issue almost always isn't that people wouldn't LIKE it if there were tests, it's that they

    1. Don't want to have to learn something new in order to do the same job they're already comfortable with
    2. Are worried that if they convince management to let them invest X amount of time into doing something that will improve productivity, they'll be expected to be more productive in the future

    And of course, all of this for no extra money. Unless you work at a place where management prioritzes developer happiness over how many sprint points the team can knock out every week (and those are rare), the sad truth is that it'll likely be about as popular as leftover food growing mold in the community fridge.

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