Testable code as standard?

Yes please! (is what you should be thinking right now...)

OK, so maybe you don’t know (and don’t care) what testable code is. But we think testable code is something worth caring about… and no, it’s not just because we’re giant nerds. From a very non-nerdy perspective, we believe that if you’re investing in a software development project (big or small), you should know that your tech team is writing testable code. 

Why? Well, when it comes to software development, testing is vitally important. No one wants to release a buggy or glitchy app or website. It’s not a good look. The problem is, if you’re not testing as you go, then you run the risk of developing an entire solution only to find out that it doesn’t work when you’re testing prior to release. And if your software team isn’t writing testable code, then this makes any testing infinitely more difficult.  

So what do we mean by testable code? 

What is testable code?

Testable code is robust, clean, and well-written code that serves a single purpose and works as a standalone piece of code. When we say “standalone”, what we’re emphasising here is the ability of a piece of code to work regardless of the other bits of code around it. It can be maintained and extended without adversely impacting other code too. 

In short, writing testable code means creating code that can be easily and cleanly tested because it isn’t tightly coupled with or reliant on other code. We can check for this by doing something called “unit testing”, and it’s a vital part of high quality software development. 

Think of unit testing as the software equivalent of having your car MOT’d. 

Vital elements of the overall vehicle are routinely tested to ensure they function as intended, with each test resulting in either a pass or fail. It wouldn’t make sense that the headlights could only work if the windscreen wipers are on, or that the seatbelts only retract if the car doors are closed - each element works and can be tested independently. This means that if you need to replace a broken headlight, other parts of the car aren’t affected.

It’s the same when writing code. 

Testable code is written so that the code works and can be tested independently. It can be fixed, maintained, or extended without affecting other parts of the code base (or to use the analogy above: other parts of the car). 

How do you write testable code?

Without getting too bogged down in the technical details, writing testable code means 1) thinking about how the code might be unit tested, 2) thinking about how we can make the code less dependent or reliant on other bits of our code base. 

Testing is good. It makes the lives of our software development team easier… but here’s why you, as a client, should care about testable code too: it directly benefits your bottom line.

Why writing testable code is essential

Let’s go back to the idea of writing code that isn’t entangled - or dependent - on other bits of code. It’s self sufficient.

Less dependent code means if we need to go back and make changes, it’s easier and quicker to do so. It also means that any changes are less likely to affect other parts of the code base - potentially messing up stuff. The more connected or dependent a piece of code is, the more potential it has to muck up the whole solution. This can get frustrating, time consuming, and expensive really quickly… no thank you.

Ergo, 

Testable code = less time, effort, and ultimately cost - to you.

The thing is, not all software development companies write testable code as standard. Some do. Others not. It does require a bit more time, effort, patience, and consideration.

The good news is We Do Code writes testable code as standard. Not a bolt on, add on, or a hidden extra fee. It’s just how we do code. 

We’re fans of making life simple, but we also want to create software solutions that offer exceptional quality and value - for the long haul. Long term, writing testable code makes sense. Business sense, financial sense, common sense. It ensures our code is quick and cost-efficient to maintain, fix, debug, and even scale up. 

Want to find out what we can build for you? Get in touch