RailsConf 2007: The case of the missing BDD

Looks like the RSpec folks dropped 1.0. Awesome! Congratulations!

Hmm, where’s the applause? This is the good shit. People should be knowing about this. So, as I sit here at RailsConf 2007 looking over the schedule, I’m not seeing any talks scheduled for BDD or RSpec. That’s regrettable. So, my goal will be to embarrass, cajole, entice, encourage (pick your emotional poison) you into trying RSpec. Not sure if it’s right for you? Try it. Not sure if it will work well? Try it. Don’t get it yet? Try it, already!

And while you’re trying it, think about this: How can descriptions of the behavior of a system form the common language that spans the spectrum of development from clients to developers. Do you think your clients care about how many def test_should_be_super_duper methods are in your tests? Why would they?

Would your customer care about something like this?

The Home page
- has an entry field for username labelled 'User name'
- has an entry field for password labelled 'Password'
- has a submit button labeled 'Log in'
- has a link to retrieve a lost password FAILED

1) The Home page has a link to retrieve a lost password FAILED
   <insert client comprehensible failure message here>

Do you think this could form the basis of a dialogue with your clients? Would it be easier to trouble shoot this over a client saying, “The lost password link doesn’t work.” Do you see how this could make everyone’s life easier?

Is this all there is to BDD and RSpec? No, not by a long shot. So… yeah, you guessed it. Try it.

4 Responses to “RailsConf 2007: The case of the missing BDD”

  1. lee Says:

    Just to let you and everybody know there is a Rspec talk at RailsConf 2007 as a part of the Birds of a Feather sessions, 8:30-9:30PM Saturday.

  2. george Says:

    The word on the street is there will be an 8:30p BoF session on RSpec (Saturday night). It’s not been posted anywhere official yet, but David Chelimsky said it was happening.

    Of course, this conflicts with RejectConf and the Hackety Hack BoF. Tough choices.

  3. lee Says:

    Just letting you know that there is a Rspec talk at RailsConf 2007. It is a part of the Birds of a Feather sessions at 8:30-9:30PM on Saturday night.

  4. Brian Says:

    lee, george: Thanks for noting the BoF session. It was a real tough choice but I decided to go to RejectConf, which was great.

    While I heard the RSpec BoF went really well, I still lament that there was not a talk at the conference.

Sorry, comments are closed for this article.