The Hardest Part of Writing Tests is Getting Started - Shopify

This post provides a foundational guide for engineers new to testing, detailing the 'why' behind writing tests (documentation, regression prevention, contract enforcement) and offering a four-step approach to getting started: 1. Write a first test to ensure the suite is functional. 2. Test isolated functions first to minimize setup complexity. 3. Use stubs and fixtures to control test environments and avoid testing external dependencies. 4. Set up end-to-end (E2E) tests, particularly for legacy code, to achieve high code coverage and facilitate refactoring.