Create an iterative development plan
- Plan the order in which to create objects.
Some objects can depend on others; you must create new data types before you create the routines that operate on them. Create simple data types and routines before complex ones. Create objects in the smallest independently testable groups. For example, you can test opaque data type support routines without any other objects.
- Add unit and functional test data for opaque data type support
routines, user-defined routines, and cast support routines as you
create them.
Unit tests are SQL files you use to test boundary conditions while debugging your DataBlade® module on Windows™. After you generate unit tests for all your routines with BladeSmith, you add test data to them. If you later regenerate unit tests, the changes you made are merged into the new unit test files.
Functional tests are scripts you execute to validate your DataBlade module on UNIX™ after you finish debugging it. You can also run functional tests on Windows if you use a UNIX emulator, such as MKS Toolkit. Before you generate functional tests in BladeSmith, you must enter functional test data for all your routines. You can add custom scripts, but if you alter existing scripts and then regenerate them, changes you made are overwritten. See Perform functional test data for more information.
- Include tracing when you generate code.
If you enable tracing when you generate code in BladeSmith, BladeSmith includes enter and exit tracing for every routine. You can also add more tracing. See Generate files for information about how to generate code with tracing and Tracing and error handling for information about the generated tracing.
- Add custom error messages.
Anticipate how your customers will use your DataBlade module and create error messages that sensibly report problems to your users. See Define errors for information about how to define error messages and Tracing and error handling for information about how to add custom error handling to your DataBlade code.