#Putting test cases in a hard to use formatsformat
Supplying test cases is always a good idea, but people are more likely to use them (and thus have better tested code) if they can easily be copied and pasted into a test suite.
So format your test cases as simply and as consistently as possible, preferably in a single code block. If you have lots of test cases and you want to section them out by type, put empty lines between sections instead of using several separate code blocks.
Be sure to include any examples used during explanation as test cases. People may otherwise forget important examples while focusing on test cases.
#Do This:
Input -> Output
cat -> kitten
dog -> puppy
seal -> pup
bear -> cub
cow -> calf
bird -> chick
echidna -> puggle
Replace -> with something else if the - and > might get confused with the input and output. Don't use → (right arrow) or other Non-ASCII since not all languages/compilers may allow it.
#DON'T Do This:
+---------+--------+
| Input | Output |
+---------+--------+
| cat | kitten |
| dog | puppy |
| seal | pup |
| bear | cub |
| cow | calf |
| bird | chick |
| echidna | puggle |
+---------+--------+
Yes, it looks nicer, but it's more hassle to get the pure data.
#DON'T Do This:
The inputs cat, dog seal, bear, cow, bird, and echidna have the respective outputs kitten, puppy, pup, cub, calf, chick, and puggle.
#DON'T Do This:
The input
cat
has output
kitten
The input
dog
has output
puppy
Likewise, the input
seal
has output
pup
and the input
bear
has output
cub
and the input
cow
has output
calf
and the input
bird
has output
chick
and, finally, the input
echidna
has output
puggle
Yes, I have been guilty of this. No, I am not going to fix all my old challenges.
