vrijdag 25 november 2011

Simple tests

Just got an e-mail at OpendTect support, about not being able to load the simplest SEG-Y file from the Madagascar web site into OpendTect. Between the lines I could read that the sender implied that if anything should be loadable, then at least the simplest file of all.

That is a common misconception, not just in this case but more in general. Very often the simplest cases are very bad test cases. They lack everything needed for good testing, and sometimes the system responds a 100% correct to reject them. Therefore, a good rule is: make the first test case simple, but not simpler than possible.

For test material, the simple 'first test' must comply with the requirements of the system. Other test cases, designed to test error conditions, can be made later. Very often, you can simulate error conditions by changing some variables in the debugger BTW. Even later, you can add test cases that cover as much of the specs as possible.

This particular SEG-Y file didn't have any positions in it. That may be unnecessary for Madagascar, OpendTect doesn't buy that and tells you that all traces are invalid. Which they are (there are numerous workarounds though).

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