DON'T REINVENT THE WHEEL

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Pattern summary

Use available know-how, tools and processes whenever possible.

Category

Design

Context

Use this pattern for efficient automation, but it is always useful!

Description

Use available know-how, tools and processes whenever possible. Reuse available data. Reuse scripts or libraries: you save lots of effort because you can just use testware that has already been tested and implemented.

'James Tony': Duplication is to be avoided! Copy and paste is (usually) the wrong thing to do – repeated cloning and tweaking of tests can lead to high technical debt and having to make the same change in many places when the requirements change

Implementation

Some suggestions:

• GET TRAINING: you don’t have to invent everything yourself!
• PREFER FAMILIAR SOLUTIONS: take advantage of what know-how is already available in your company
• For REPETITIOUS TESTS implement DATA-DRIVEN TESTING
• Look for common keywords and implement KEYWORD-DRIVEN TESTING
  
  

Recommendations
DESIGN FOR REUSE: Write scripts so that they can be reused and reuse them.
Create generalized data that can be reused and reuse it

Issues addressed by this pattern

LOCALISED REGIMES
REPETITIOUS TESTS
TEST DATA LOSS

Experiences

If you have used this pattern, please add your name and a brief story of how you used this pattern: your context, what you did, and how well it worked - or how it didn't work!

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