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There are obviously many reasons, but to add a couple; Fight regression You don't want to fix the same bug several times, do you? When a bug is found, I first

There are obviously many reasons, but to add a couple; Fight regression You don't want to fix the same bug several times, do you? When a bug is found, I first write a test to repeat the bug. Then I fix the code. Now every time I want to release a new version, that particular bug is tested yet again. The 'quick fix' 5 minutes before launch You're approaching deadline, everything is looking fine. Then, just before launch, a small bug or a tiny new feature has to be added. You can't imagine that would have side effects, can you? Well, that one bit of code, a small module that 'never changes', which you haven't looked at for 12+ months, reacts badly to this change. With good tests in place you catch this before you hit production problems.

d0m 15y ago
And, when it does happen, you thanks yourself for the times you thought it was unnecessary tests, but still wrote them to be safe.
abstractbill 15y ago
The 'quick fix' 5 minutes before launch The universe tends towards maximum irony, and you are seriously underestimating that maximum. Even with 100% test coverage, fixing something 5 minutes before launch is an awful idea. Either delay the launch, or accept that the bug is small enough to not matter.
- ZeroMinx 15y ago
  Yes, I can/do not deny the power of the irony gods. awful idea, yes, I agree, but real world is full of awful ideas. You can either accept it and adapt, or be drowned by it.