Blogs

In my last blog post, I showed how it was possible to run integration and acceptance tests at a level where it is still possible to isolate the code under test from third-party dependencies. Here I'm going to detail (using real-life examples) how Varealis expanded these tests to also include Authentication and Authorisation when testing our ASP.Net Core applications.

In my last blog post, I discussed the advantages of running acceptance tests at a level where it is still possible to isolate the code under test from third-party dependencies. Here I'm going to detail (using real-life examples) how Varealis has designed its .Net Core applications to run acceptance tests against one of the microservices that helps power RadSpider.

How many of us are familiar with the 'testing triangle'? And yet how many of us have something that looks completely different? This usually isn't due to ignorance since even the most well-intentioned teams can wake up one morning to a triangle that looks a little unbalanced. I've seen triangles that look top-heavy, ones that miss entire levels and countless testing trapeziums. I want to address what I see as the main reasons that this divergence occurs and offer ideas that should help mitigate these problems.

An exciting new chapter in Varealis' story starts today, today is my first day working at Varealis full-time. I've been working for Varealis (and before Varealis was founded - RadSpider) part-time for the past 5 years, so this is something I've been working up to for a very long time.

If I had to describe how my first ever Code Review felt... I'd probably have to call it crushing. Not only was it my first Code Review, but it was also my first serious, unassisted contribution a code base that a) wasn't my own and b) was outside of education. It played a key role in shaping me into the developer I am today but most importantly it also taught me a lot more about the value of constructive Code Reviews, eventually leading me to found Varealis so that I could offer Code Reviews as a Service.

Since 2014, I have had my sights set on the development of a uniquely innovative software platform that will revolutionise CI/CD pipelines, empowering them to supply confidence that is impossible to reach without manual intervention of exceptionally talented engineers and data analysts. During the last five years, RadSpider has been improved and optimised until it became clear it could become a PaaS offering. I also realised that using the skills and expertise I had developed over the years, I had much more than just RadSpider to offer the world. That was when I founded Varealis.