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Throw away code can be ugly code

Recently, I needed to do a bunch of test setup in a web application. I had to manipulate around 5,000 records, and due to a time crunch and few people around over the holidays, it was easier for me to get at the GUI than it was the database. So I decided to write a quick Watir script to do the edits for me.

I had a spreadsheet with all the changes I needed, so I decided to let Excel write the bulk of my code. Using the CONCATENATE() function, I inserted the following into the first row:

CONCATENATE("ii == ", A1, " ? temp = ", A6, A3, A6, " : temp = temp")

That creates something that looks like this:

ii == 1 ? temp = "Some Value" : temp = temp

All I had to do was drag that down to fill each row and I was able to copy and paste a very large block of code from Excel into a loop in Ruby:

for ii in (1..5005)
#do some setup using Watir
ii == 1 ? temp = "Some Value" : temp = temp
ii == 2 ? temp = "Some Value" : temp = temp
ii == 3 ? temp = "Some Value" : temp = temp
ii == 4 ? temp = "Some Value" : temp = temp
#...etc...
ii == 5005 ? temp = "Some Value" : temp = temp
#do something afterward using Watir
end

Now, this is REALLY UGLY code. I know it's ugly, and you know it's ugly, but I'm defending it because it only took me five minutes to get my script running. It ran for a couple hours, and I was done. All of my test setup complete. I deleted the script and moved on.

While my solution wasn't elegant, it worked. Someone later told me about an Excel library I could have used, and I didn't feel bad about not using it. Sometimes you need to resist the urge to write an elegant solution if you're just hacking away at a simple problem.

Where to start: Automation in an Agile environment

When you are switching from Waterfall to Agile, it's very easy to get caught up in discussions about tools and automation. Which tools are best for unit testing and acceptance testing? What tools will we need for test data and test environment creation?

It may be worthwhile to take a step back and first prioritize what you want to automate. Ask yourself: "Where are tools going to add the best efficiencies?"

One area that often creates the most pain and gets overlooked is creating the test environment, installation and configuration.  It's these early stages in testing where most often delays occur.

It's not sexy and perhaps not as much fun, but for testers,  automating these areas first can provide considerable benefit in cost and time savings.  Getting developers to start on installation and configuration scripts first, before writing any application code is another way to streamline the process. This way, you can get the test environment running ahead of any functionality testing.

Remember its, "Individuals and interactions over processes and tools"