Test Harnessing Legacy Infrastructure

In the world of legacy code, we often end up inheriting a tangled ball of mess with a lack of automation, and no clear surfaces for testing. Yet still, under these circumstances, we're expected to safely make changes without regressions. Where do we start? How do we tackle this challenge? How do we get a handle on re-architecture?

We'll start this discussion with a first-hand use case and example – tackling the re-architecture of an 800k line JBoss application with near-zero unit tests. Ugh. The only option on the table was Selenium. UGH.

Let's talk about alternative strategies. How have you tackled similar situations? How could we build a data-driven regression framework without going through the UI?

This session will be 70% discussion, focused on the challenges you've faced in test harnessing legacy code. Be ready to share the story of a challenge your facing, or help out your fellow attendees with advice.

We'll discuss the strategies used to conquer the challenge in this case study, and how you could apply the same pattern to your own projects.

About Arty Starr

Arty Starr is a recognized Flow Experience expert, researcher, speaker and thought leader, and author of Idea Flow, how to measure the friction in software development. Arty's PhD research is developing a theory of momentum in software development, and she is creator of the FLOWS platform designed to help developers thrive and find joy through more time in the flow state. The company she founded, FlowInsight, is on a mission to bring back joy to our everyday work.

Arty is also a 2D/3D animator and artist, and has spent the last couple years building 3D apps in AR. She loves to share about her experiences with these technologies.

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