Unit Testing Reimagined: Beyond the Dogma
Traditional unit testing often falls into dogma, leading to wasted time and ineffective tests. This article challenges the very definition of a 'unit', advocating for user-centric integration and end-to-end tests instead of rigidly testing every class or method. The author suggests reducing reliance on code isolation and mocks, leveraging real databases and tools like Docker for increased efficiency and meaningful tests. TDD is presented as not a silver bullet, with software architecture design prioritizing non-functional requirements. Ultimately, the key decision in choosing a testing strategy is balancing quality assurance, refactoring resilience, and speed of feedback; often, modern tools make fast e2e or integration tests feasible.