One of the strategies I find myself returning to for testing is looking at the kinds of mistakes that are made. Often a pattern can be found. Individuals tend to make the same type of mistake over and over. For groups, areas that are complex are repeatedly forgotten when the connection to the current change is not obvious.

There are many strategies to help counter this tendency to repeat mistakes. If the problem is common across the group a checklist can be very effective as a short term fix. If it’s particular to an individual, collaborating on a strategy that works for them often is effective.

It reflects on the maturity and experience of the developer on how open they are to feedback. A good developer is always looking to up their game. They will find ways change their process to reduce their errors.

The industry has already identified a number of of practices that can reduce errors, and have automated solutions. Unit testing and checking code coverage is one such practice. Static code analysis such as using a linter is another. Considering how a problem can be avoided by automating a process.

How software is designed can have a big impact on errors. Prefer designs that are simple, or require all parts to be properly updated for new functionality to be added.

Key Points

  • Its human nature to make the same type of mistakes.
  • Being mindful about why a mistake happened can lead to process or behavior changes that reduce the likelihood of the same type of mistake in the future.
  • Some upfront thought to design, process, and tooling can help reduce mistakes during implementation and ongoing development.

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