Separate Concerns: Split your code into small, modular functions, each handling a specific responsibility. This avoids jumbled code that is difficult to manage and test.
Bug Detection: Modular code makes it easier to spot bugs, as each part can be isolated and tested independently.
Professional Workflow: By organizing code into distinct functions, professionals ensure each section’s functionality is clear and maintainable before even reaching code review.
2. Write Unit Tests
Test Individual Components: Each function should be covered by a unit test, ensuring its behavior is correct in isolation.
Documentation Through Tests: Instead of adding lengthy comments in the code, unit tests serve as live documentation. They define the expected functionality, making the code self-explanatory.
Avoid Integration Testing for Simple Tasks: If code isn’t modular, testing one component (e.g., email validation) may require running the entire function and its dependencies (like databases), making it an expensive integration test rather than a simple unit test.
3. Regression Testing
Catch Bugs Early: Once modularization and unit testing are in place, tests will automatically catch bugs before code review. In a Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipeline, tests will fail if any component is broken, saving time and effort.
Fix and Validate Changes: After fixing issues that caused test failures, it is important to run the tests again to ensure nothing else breaks.
Regression Testing Defined: When a previously working behavior no longer works after making changes, it is called regression. Running tests after changes is known as regression testing and helps catch these kinds of issues.