Assertion

Assertion is a statement in your code that checks if a condition is true, otherwise it throws an error faster than Elon Musk changes his mind on Twitter. It's like a bouncer at a nightclub, making sure only the right values get in, so your program doesn't end up like FTX.

How to use it in a sentence

  • "I added an assertion to check if the user input is valid, because apparently, some people think 'password123' is still a secure password in 2023."

  • "The QA team keeps finding bugs in my code, so I sprinkled some assertions around like fairy dust, hoping it will magically fix everything before the next sprint review."

If you actually want to learn more...

  • Assertion-Free Testing: Martin Fowler explains how writing tests without assertions is like having a project manager who just nods and smiles without actually checking if anything works. Read more

  • Testing Asynchronous JavaScript: Pete Hodgson dives into how promise-based async code can be tested cleanly, for those times when you need to assert that your Node.js backend won't collapse like a house of cards. Read more

  • Modern Mocking Tools and Black Magic: Brett L. Schuchert explores the pros and cons of modern mocking tools, which can help you test legacy code, but might also tempt you to the dark side. Read more

Note: the Developer Dictionary is in Beta. Please direct feedback to skye@statsig.com.

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