Typemock has released, Isolator V7.4, with new and improved SmartRunner, which automatically sorts tests for you, so that you see the relevant tests on the production code. It includes GetTimesCalled API, which helps you to check how many times a method was called so that assertions can be specified based on that number. The API provides enhanced testing flexibility in addition to higher precision for special testing situations.
The latest release includes new keyboard shortcuts including support for re-running and re-debugging in addition to an ability to test legacy code.
InfoQ had a chat with Gil Zilberfeld, Product Manager, Typemock to know more about the features of the latest release
InfoQ: How is Typemock Isolator v7.4 different from other competing products?
Typemock Isolator is a full unit testing tool suite, as opposed to separate (and less capable) mocking, runners, and additional features that don't exist in other products. In addition, it integrates with many ALM tools (in addition to Microsoft's) that developers work with.
InfoQ: How does Typemock Isolator v7.4 enhance development productivity?
Typemock Isolator's SmartRunner is all about quick feedback aimed at enhancing productivity: it runs only impacted tests (by default), sorts out quick tests from long-running ones, shows test results on the code, so developers have all the needed information - indicated visually - for debugging failed tests on the production code. In addition it show how the different tests cover the production code, each test with its own coverage path.
InfoQ: Does Isolator fix errors or points out remedial measures to fix the error?
There is never a substitute for human logic. While Isolator cannot find a logical error in the code, it shows all the needed information to fix a bug when tests fail: which tests failed (and which passed) in which code was the recent change, the visual coverage path of each test, and which error caused the test to fail. In addition, it points semantic errors when writing tests.
InfoQ: Can you elaborate new keyboard shortcuts with an example?
In addition to the obvious productivity-boost keyboard shortcuts give, running the impacted tests with a shortcut, cuts down the cycle of change code-run: see if everything still works. In fact, keyboard shortcuts encourage making small code changes and seeing the impact, giving quick feedback.
InfoQ: What is the benefit of re-debugging introduced in the new release?
This is another productivity feature. If a test failed, and you debug it and find a cause for the failure, you change the code, and that's usually in the production code. While with other runners you need to go back to the test and re-run or re-debug it, Typemock Isolator SmartRunner remembers what you debugged last, regardless of where you are in the code.
InfoQ: Can you share with us the future roadmap of Typemock Isolator?
Up until Typemock Isolator V8, there are additional service releases and SmartRunner enhancements in the pipeline, including TFS 2012 support. We do have some more surprises up our Isolator sleeve, but we are not revealing them yet.
