Note: this IT radio drama starts with episode 14, Why DEvs don’t TDD. Start listening there. 

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015 The TDD FUD Spreader

(A Code-Dog is typing away, the Agile Thoughts podcast playing in the background. Vanilla Pop enters the room.)

 

Code-Dog: Well good morning to you Pop. You got in early. It’s only 10am.

VPop: yeah yeah. I’ve been listening to this podcast and wanted to try some of the ideas out.

Code-Dog: Whoa! Whatcha cooking up? A test class?

VPop: yeah! I’m building some micro tests as I build the code and–

Code-Dog: You what? Did you say write tests *as* you build the code? You mean after you build the code, and only if you’ve got some time left before the Sprint ends.

VPop: No, I mean I’m writing the test before that. It’s called TDD and–

Code-Dog: Dude I’ve hear of Test Driven Development and that’s some messed up shit!

VPop: Well I got this book called TDD by Example, and I’m giving it a go.

Code-Dog: You remember Instant Nugget? Over in accounting? His boss told the whole team they had to start doing it. And none of them knew how…. so they wrote the tests later and I guess they didn’t make enough because they still haven’t deployed their app.

VPop: Yeah. That project is a steaming pile of bugs. So yeah. I’m giving it a try in case our manager makes us do it.

Code-Dog: Nuh uh, there is no way. All the other managers in the company are too scared after that.

VPop: what did they expect when no one on the team knew how?

Code-Dog: So that’s how it is huh? YOU’re learning now so they can make us do it later. Man I don’t know… Maybe better you don’t so we can keep things cushy the way they are…

VPop: You know that last Sprint, I spent most of it tracking down a problem in production? It must have been a code merge that changed that fouled up a Handler class.

Code-Dog: yeah, that sucked. But hey, everyone understands that you nee