Unit testing - how to save lot of rework

 When it comes to unit testing, it's essential to cover different aspects of a feature to ensure code integrity and identify potential impacts on other parts of the solution. Here's an improvised list of unit test cases you can consider for each feature:

1. Basic functionality:

Verify that the feature executes without errors.

Test the expected output against different input scenarios.

Validate edge cases and boundary values.

2. Input validation:

Verify that appropriate error handling and validation checks are in place.

Ensure the feature gracefully handles unexpected input.

3. Error handling and exception cases:

Test the feature's response to anticipated error conditions.

Validate that proper error messages or exception handling mechanisms are implemented.

Verify that the code recovers or fails gracefully under exceptional scenarios.

4. Integration with other components:

Test the feature's interaction with dependent modules or services.

Validate that the feature integrates correctly and exchanges data as expected.

Ensure the feature doesn't introduce unexpected side effects or conflicts.

5. Performance and scalability:

Measure the feature's execution time under various load conditions.

Assess resource usage (CPU, memory) during feature execution.

Validate that the feature doesn't cause performance bottlenecks or resource leaks.

6. Compatibility:

Test the feature across different environments (e.g., operating systems, browsers).

Validate compatibility with various versions of dependent libraries or frameworks.

Ensure the feature behaves consistently across different configurations.

7. Regression testing:

Re-run previously passing tests to verify that the feature changes didn't break existing functionality.

Include edge cases and critical scenarios covered by previous test cases.

8. Documentation:

An often ignored activitiy,

Verify that the feature's documentation (e.g., inline comments, user guides) accurately reflects its behavior.

Ensure that examples, usage instructions, and parameter descriptions are up to date.

Remember, this is a general set of test cases. The specific test cases and coverage may vary based on the nature of your project, programming language, and the feature being tested.

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It may be enphasised that we should look a the breakdown of unit test cases for happy scenarios (expected behavior) and negative scenarios (exceptional or invalid behavior) :

Happy Scenarios:

Basic functionality:

Verify the feature executes without errors.

Test the expected output against different input scenarios.

Validate edge cases and boundary values.

Positive input validation:

Test the feature's behavior with valid input.

Verify that the expected output is generated for valid inputs.

Ensure the feature handles valid inputs correctly.

Error handling and exception cases (expected):

Test the feature's response to anticipated error conditions.

Validate that proper error messages or exception handling mechanisms are implemented.

Verify that the code recovers or fails gracefully under expected exceptional scenarios.

Negative Scenarios:

Negative input validation:

Test the feature's behavior with invalid input.

Verify that appropriate error handling and validation checks are in place.

Ensure the feature gracefully handles unexpected or invalid input.

Error handling and exception cases (unexpected):

Test the feature's response to unexpected error conditions.

Validate that the feature handles unexpected errors without crashing or compromising data integrity.

Verify that the code logs or reports unexpected errors appropriately.

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With inputs from:

Shoeb Khan, senior Java professional and 

Dr M Khalid Munir, Product manager, healthcare solutions  (myself) 

Feel free to give suggestions, ideas for new topics for me to create blog posts, tips to improve on email at m e d l i f e a s i a (at) g m a i l