SE450: JUnit: Introduction [27/41]

What is JUnit?

JUnit is an open source Unit Testing framework. It allows you to easily create tests for your Java code, then to run it quickly and easily, and format the results in a consistent fashion.

It springs from the xUnit test tools that are available in many languages at http://www.xprogramming.com/software.htm . The idea of xUnit unit testing frameworks started with a paper written by Kent Beck. He advocated that developers should write a Unit Test for each class that they write. His work started in Smalltalk, and JUnit is the Java extension of this work.

JUnit has become the standard testing framework for Java Development in most developer circles. It has been extended to allow testing of Web Applications (HTTPUnit), and Swing Applications (JFCUnit), along with multiple application specific tools and platforms.

JUnit integrates with Ant, allowing you to create an incremental development environment that can make your development easier and more efficient.