The Raleigh-area Ruby Brigade July Meeting

Javascript Testing in Rails: Fast, Headless, In-browser. Pick Any Three. by Larry Karnowski & Jason Rudolph

You wouldn’t consider developing a Rails application without having a solid test suite for your Ruby code, but you’ve somehow convinced yourself to cross your fingers and look the other way when it comes to JavaScript. It doesn’t have to be that way. In this talk, you’ll learn how to apply test-driven and behavior-driven development to your unobtrusive JavaScript code in a Rails-friendly manner.

Historically, when selecting a JavaScript testing solution, you were forced to choose whether you wanted a framework that could run your tests in the browser or one that could only run your tests in a headless fashion. With the right combination of tools, you can enjoy the best of both worlds: fast, automation-friendly, and headless testing plus the ability to run your tests in whichever browser is acting up on any given day.

Larry Karnowski has been designing and developing software applications for almost fifteen years. His biggest passion is solving problems for real people—creating user interfaces that let users kick ass. In addition to hard technical skills like Ruby, Java, etc., he brings experience in usability, product design, and uncovering what users really need.

Jason Rudolph is a Principal at Relevance, a leading consultancy and training organization specializing in Ruby, Rails, Groovy, and Grails, and integrating them into enterprise environments. Jason has more than nine years of experience in developing software solutions for domestic and international clients of all sizes, including start-ups, Dow 30 companies, and government organizations.