# What is Unit Testing?

**URL:** https://forum.kirupa.com/t/what-is-unit-testing/315170
**Category:** flash
**Created:** [October 19, 2010, 12:45pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/what-is-unit-testing/315170 "2010-10-19T12:45:20Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![IQAndreas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f08c70/32.png) [@IQAndreas](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/IQAndreas)
#### Post date: [October 19, 2010, 12:45pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/what-is-unit-testing/315170/1 "2010-10-19T12:45:20Z")

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I hear a lot about Unit Testing both arguments for and against it’s overuse. But I can’t seem to find a good explanation of it.

Could someone explain in beginner friendly terms what unit testing is, and how it applies to AS3 development, such as what is exactly involved with it?

[SIZE=1]Sadly, Wikipedia is less than helpful…

> [@Wikipedia](#):
>
> In [computer programming, **unit testing** is a method by which individual units of [URL=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Source\_code”]source code are tested to determine if they are fit for use. A unit is the smallest testable part of an application. In [URL=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Procedural\_programming”]procedural programming](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_programming) a unit may be an individual function or procedure. Unit tests are created by programmers or occasionally by white box testers.
> 
> Ideally, each [test case is independent from the others: substitutes like [URL=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Method\_stub”]method stubs, [URL=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mock\_object”]mock objects,[URL=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unit\_testing#cite\_note-mocksarentstubs-0”][1] [URL=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mock\_object#Mocks\_and\_fakes”]fakes and [URL=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Test\_harness”]test harnesses can be used to assist testing a module in isolation. Unit tests are typically written and run by [URL=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software\_developer”]software developers to ensure that code meets its design and behaves as intended. Its implementation can vary from being very manual (pencil and paper) to being formalized as part of [URL=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Build\_automation”]build automation](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Test_case).

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