This is mostly a rant, so feel free to skip this one. Really.
(Most folks are probably already enjoying the holiday weekend anyways…)
I’ve recently started a new project on which I have to use the [dreaded VS Testing framework](http://joeydotnet.com/blog/archive/2006/12/25/15.aspx) again, or as I call it, the “Microsoft Visual Studio Enterprise Unit Testing Framework, um, Block”. Gotta have that word “enterprise” and “block” in there somewhere, right? 😛
I know it’s a minor thing, but why doesn’t the VS Testing [Ignore] attribute allow you to pass in a message as to exactly \*why\* you are ignoring this test. This just once again promotes bad practices by allowing folks to slap [Ignore] attributes on any tests they don’t feel like working on right now **without giving them the option of documenting why**!
Sure, you can do an Assert.Inconclusive(message) inside of the test to achieve the same thing, but then that would require you mess around in the test method body when you end up wanting to re-enable the test. Not nearly as clear as just removing an [Ignore] attribute.
This, along with the [ExpectedException debacle](http://weblogs.asp.net/rosherove/archive/2006/01/25/436414.aspx) that has also bitten me in the past, are just a couple things that make simple frameworks like NUnit, or even better, MBUnit much better choices. IMHO.
Guess that’s what happens when you re-invent only 95% of NUnit. :O
Ok, *now* I can start the weekend. 🙂 And, if you made it this far, you have a good weekend as well!
Joey. Out.
