DSW-Unit 3-Tools and Practices, Part 1

Summary

Unit testing in Python, Test-Driven Development, Exceptions, Modules

Topics

• Python unittest
• Python annotations
• Background on Python OOP and classes (minimal amount needed to understand use of unittest)
• tdd red/green/refactor cycle
• Exception handling in Python
• importing modules
• creating user-defined modules
• using pip to install modules
• Pair programming
• Llewellyn Falco's Strong-Style Pair Programming
• Mob programming

Learning Objectives

• The student will be able to create test cases for simple numeric functions
• The student will be able to create test cases for functions involving complex data types
• The student will be able to identify which parts of a Python unittest suite are annotations (e.g. @unittest.skip())
• The student will be able to differentiate between inherited methods and user-defined methods in the limited context of extending the unittest class to create test suites
• The student will demonstrate an ability to use the Python documentation to locate the inherited methods of unittest
• The student will be able to explain and demonstrate the red/green/refactor cycle
• The student will be able to write code to throw Python exceptions when appropriate (e.g. when parameter values are not reasonable)
• The student will be able to write the appropriate unittest methods to check that the correct Python exceptions are thrown
• The student will demonstrate an understanding of importing modules, both user-defined and standard modules
• The student will demonstrate an understanding of how to create, import and use their own modules
• The student will demonstrate that they can use pip to install third-party libraries and then import them in their code
• The student will demonstrate an understanding of the roles of driver and navigator in pair-programming
• The student will be able to explain possible benefits and drawbacks of pair-programming
• The student will be able to explain and demonstrate both roles Llewellyn's Falco's Strong-Style Pair Programing
• The student will be able to explain, and demonstrate various roles in mob programming

UC a-g application information

Summary

In this unit, students must develop a deeper understanding of software testing by writing their own tests. They will also gain practice with the use of third party libraries, which can require considerable reading of documentation. They will also begin to design, develop and test their own libraries of software. Finally, students will be asked to engage in the practice of pair-programming, and the critically reflect (both orally and in writing) about at least two variants of this practice.

Key Assignment

A key assignment for this unit will be to work with a pair partner to identify a set of computations that can be done over some structured data, design unit tests for the functions that implement these computations, implement the functions as a Python module, and then document the module via docstrings. In addition, as the students complete these assignment, they will be asked to try out two different models of pair programming: traditional, and Falco's "strong style pairing", then write reflections and engage in class discussions about the benefits and pitfalls of each approach, and the situations where it may be applicable, justifying their reflections with evidence. Students will learn to think critically about a data structure and how to design, test and implement computations over that data structure. They will also learn how to think critically about software development practices, and their own interactions with fellow developers. This is an academically challenging assignment involving substantial reading and writing, problem-solving, analytical thinking, oral and listening skills, and one that gives an authentic taste of software development practices that students will see both in undergraduate Computer Science, and software industry settings.

Activities