Test First Challenge

I'm doing Test First Challenge.  William Wake has written a series of tests, the challenge is to write the code to pass those tests.  At the end, you will have a simple spreadsheet program.  I'm writing in Java, using IntelliJ IDEA and JUnit.  I've succumbed to the power of the IDE (Integrated Development Environment), and unless Eclipse does something amazing, like actually work on my laptop for once, I'm staying with IntelliJ.  Eclipse has the advantage of being free, but free isn't a lot of good when it goes with non-functional.

Having the tests written by someone who knows what they're doing is a huge help.   Knowing what to test for is half the battle.  Right now I've passed the first seven tests, and test eight is where you start parsing formulae.  This is where Hubby and I will take radically different routes.  I'll do the parsing in Java, he's giving it to the Rhino scripting bean and letting Javascript do the work.

This test first stuff actually works.  My own test first code is orders of magnitude cleaner than the old code, far easier to understand, and doesn't have tendrils all over the rest of the application.  I'm stunned at the difference.