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TDD – 056 – Added functions to increase test readability

by | Feb 29, 2024 | MS Access, MS Access VBA Coding, TDD | 0 comments

This test I refactored yesterday to use the new functions which all the tests are using.

'@TestMethod("Count Changes")
Private Sub WhenTwoFieldsAreChangedThenReturnTwoEntryListOfChanges()
    Dim testFormAuditor As FormAuditor, dctInput As New Scripting.Dictionary
    Set testFormAuditor = New FormAuditor
    dctInput.Add "TestText", Array("", CStr(Now()))
    ChangeFields_ReturnExistingListOfChanges testFormAuditor, dctInput
    Set dctInput = New Scripting.Dictionary
    dctInput.Add "TestText", Array("", CStr(Now() & " also"))
    ChangeFields_ReturnExistingListOfChanges testFormAuditor, dctInput
    Assert.AreEqual CLng(2), testFormAuditor.ListOfChanges.Count
End Sub
Visual Basic

I want to continue refactoring it because it is unreadable and confusing. I am wanting to run multiple changes over multiple form saves. The multiple form saves is something that no other tests were doing yet. I think the Scripting Dictionary additions are confusing and not clear what I’m doing. I’m going to create a custom function which will take a reference to the dictionary with named parameters that will explain what the values I’m specifying represent.

Here it is, adding more descriptive function names (and also added to support functions included here as well:

'@TestMethod("Count Changes")
Private Sub WhenTwoFieldsAreChangedThenReturnTwoEntryListOfChanges()
    Dim testFormAuditor As FormAuditor, dctInput As Scripting.Dictionary
    Set testFormAuditor = New FormAuditor
    Set dctInput = CreateAndAddToInputDict(FieldToChange:="TestText", ChangeTo:=Now())
    ChangeFields_ReturnExistingListOfChanges testFormAuditor, dctInput
    Set dctInput = CreateAndAddToInputDict(FieldToChange:="TestText", ChangeTo:=Now() & " also")
    ChangeFields_ReturnExistingListOfChanges testFormAuditor, dctInput
    Assert.AreEqual CLng(2), testFormAuditor.ListOfChanges.Count
End Sub

Private Sub AddToInputDict(ByRef theDictionary As Scripting.Dictionary, FieldToChange As String, Optional InitialValue As String = "", Optional ChangeTo As String = "")
    theDictionary.Add FieldToChange, Array(InitialValue, ChangeTo)
End Sub

Private Function CreateAndAddToInputDict(FieldToChange As String, Optional InitialValue As String = "", Optional ChangeTo As String = "") As Scripting.Dictionary
    Dim theDictionary As New Scripting.Dictionary
    AddToInputDict theDictionary, FieldToChange, InitialValue, ChangeTo
    CreateAndAddToInputDict = theDictionary
End Function
Visual Basic

The test method itself I think is much more self documenting as to what I’m trying to do. In fact, I think I’m going to use these new helper functions to make the other tests self explanatory as well. Ok, that’s it for today.

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