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Testing Concepts ​

Testing is not just about finding bugs—it's a design tool, a documentation system, and a safety net that enables confident refactoring. Our testing philosophy emphasizes fast feedback, clear intent, and sustainable practices.

Testing Philosophy ​

At Synapse Studios, we view testing as:

  • Design feedback - Tests that are hard to write indicate design problems
  • Living documentation - Tests demonstrate how code should be used
  • Confidence builder - Comprehensive tests enable fearless refactoring
  • Quality gatekeeper - Automated verification of requirements

Testing Strategies ​

Unit Testing ​

Fast, focused tests that verify individual components in isolation. Our pragmatic approach balances thorough testing with development velocity.

Focus Areas:

  • Business logic and algorithms
  • Edge cases and error conditions
  • Component contracts and interfaces
  • Design validation through testability

Test-Driven Development ​

Using tests to drive design and implementation. TDD is a discipline that helps us write better code by thinking about interfaces before implementation.

Key Practices:

  • Red-Green-Refactor cycle
  • Writing minimal code to pass tests
  • Continuous design improvement
  • Emergent architecture

Backend Integration Testing ​

Testing how backend components work together, including databases, external services, and APIs. These tests verify that our systems integrate correctly while remaining maintainable.

Coverage Includes:

  • Database operations and transactions
  • API endpoint behavior
  • External service integration
  • Message queue interactions

Frontend Testing ​

Ensuring UI components work correctly and provide good user experiences. Our frontend testing strategy balances unit tests, integration tests, and visual regression testing.

Testing Layers:

  • Component unit tests
  • User interaction testing
  • Visual regression testing
  • Accessibility verification

Acceptance Testing ​

Business-focused tests that verify the system meets requirements. These tests are written from the user's perspective and validate complete workflows.

Characteristics:

  • Business language (Gherkin/BDD)
  • End-to-end scenarios
  • Critical path coverage
  • Production-like environment

Testing Pyramid ​

We follow the testing pyramid principle:

        /\
       /  \  Acceptance Tests (Few)
      /    \
     /      \  Integration Tests (Some)
    /        \
   /          \  Unit Tests (Many)
  /____________\
  • Many unit tests - Fast, focused, numerous
  • Some integration tests - Verify component interactions
  • Few acceptance tests - Critical business workflows

Best Practices ​

  1. Test behavior, not implementation - Focus on what, not how
  2. Keep tests simple and readable - Tests are documentation
  3. Maintain test independence - Tests shouldn't affect each other
  4. Use descriptive names - Test names should explain the scenario
  5. Follow AAA pattern - Arrange, Act, Assert

Getting Started ​

  1. Master Unit Testing - The foundation of all testing
  2. Practice TDD - Improve your design skills
  3. Add Integration Tests - Verify component interactions
  4. Implement Acceptance Tests - Validate business requirements

Implementation Guides ​

See how these testing concepts are applied: