Chapter 4Philosophy of Test Automation

About This Chapter

Chapter 3, Goals of Test Automation, described many of the goals and benefits of having an effective test automation program in place. This chapter introduces some differences in the way people think about design, construction, and testing that change the way they might naturally apply these patterns. The "big picture" questions include whether we write tests first or last, whether we think of them as tests or examples, whether we build the software from the inside-out or from the outside-in, whether we verify state or behavior, and whether we design the fixture upfront or test by test.

Why Is Philosophy Important?

What's philosophy got to do with test automation? A lot! Our outlook on ...

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