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Blank Page Panic! Creating Confidence with Test Driven Development by Elayne Juten Have you ever stared at a blank feature spec file hoping for tests to magically appear? Well, you’re not alone! In this talk we’ll take a look at how the combination of Test-Driven Development, pseudocode and RSpec can help get you to your initial commit with confidence, one RSpec error at a time! __________ Elayne Juten is a Software Engineer at Getty Images. As an early-career developer, she is passionate about finding ways to help build confidence in Ruby, Rails and RSpec.
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In the talk titled "Blank Page Panic! Creating Confidence with Test-Driven Development," Elayne Juten shares her experiences and strategies for overcoming the anxiety that often accompanies starting new coding projects. As an early-career developer at Getty Images, Juten introduces the concept of 'blank page panic', which she describes as the fear and self-doubt that developers face when confronted with an empty file while trying to implement new features. **Key Points:** - **Understanding Blank Page Panic:** Juten explains that blank page panic is akin to writer's block, characterized by feelings of inadequacy and perfectionism. She highlights that underlying causes often include fear, self-criticism, and external pressures. - **Overcoming Anxiety:** She suggests practical strategies for tackling this panic, including: - Taking short breaks or exercising to help reset the mind. - Switching tasks to build confidence through small wins. - Changing the work environment to gain a fresh perspective. - Limiting distractions by using 'do not disturb' modes on devices. - Focusing on progress instead of perfection, which aligns well with Test-Driven Development (TDD). - **Introducing Test-Driven Development (TDD):** Juten outlines how TDD can help in overcoming blank page panic by allowing developers to write tests before code. This process creates clarity and a roadmap, guiding them through development while reducing the intimidation of starting from scratch. - **Using Pseudocode:** She emphasizes the importance of pseudocode, describing it as a high-level outline that helps in structuring thoughts before actual coding. - **Example Scenario:** Juten describes a fictional feature for a pet care application where volunteers need to calculate food amounts for animals. She walks through the process, starting from pseudocode to writing RSpec tests, demonstrating how to break down tasks into manageable pieces. - **Refinement through Testing:** As she progresses, Juten explains how TDD allows for making incremental progress; each test failure guides the next steps in her coding process, reinforcing her growing confidence and demonstrating the iterative nature of development. - **Emotional Check-ins:** Throughout the coding process, Juten includes personal reflections on her confidence levels, showing how breakthroughs in testing correlate with bursts of confidence, ultimately easing her earlier anxiety. **Conclusion:** Elayne Juten concludes her talk by inviting the audience to share their strategies for overcoming similar feelings of panic in coding. She highlights the psychological aspects of writer's block and emphasizes the importance of support and collaboration among developers. Her journey through TDD illustrates that focusing on small, progressive steps can lead to significant achievements in coding while rebuilding confidence in oneself as a developer.
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