Truthful: The Fifth Quality of Valuable Tests

Truthful

A truthful test accurately reflects the underlying code. It passes when the underlying code works and fails when it doesn’t. This is easier said than done.

Brittle tests

A frequent cause of brittle tests targets assertions at surface features that might change even if the underlying logic stays the same. The classic example along these lines is view testing, in which we base the assertion on the creative text on the page (which will frequently change even though the basic logic stays the same):