Agitar Software has updated its developer testing tools, which aim to help programmers using Eclipse to test and validate code as they create it. Agitator 2.0 and the Agitar Management Dashboard 2.0 integrate more tightly with Eclipse, Agitar says, and include code pattern detection for code policy enforcement.

Agitar claims that developer testing can improve the productivity of software development teams and the quality of the software they produce. Developer testing advocate Kent Beck, author of several “Extreme Programming” books, is a software fellow at Agitar. The SDForum held an event devoted to developer testing today, in Cupertino, Calif., at which Beck delivered a keynote address.

Other features of the 2.0 releases of Agitator (screenshot) and Agitar Management Dashboard (screenshot) include expanded J2EE capabilities, with support for Enterprise JavaBeans and the Apache Struts framework, and enhanced support for Servlets and JDBC.

Agitar lists the following benefits and features for its developer testing tools:

• Intelligent test-data generation — exercise Java code in the broadest set of circumstances
• Powerful observation engine — summarize code behavior and enable developers to determine the correctness of code behavior
• Dynamic test management — keep tests current when tested code is being changed
• AutoMocks — automatically created smart mock objects provide unprecedented levels of coverage
• IDE Integration — Eclipse-based; use Agitator in conjunction with popular IDEs such as Eclipse, JBuilder, and IntelliJ IDEA
• Code rules — enforce coding standards compliance; prevent and detect common coding errors
• Factories — provide configurable and extensible mechanisms for data generation
• Extensive JUnit support — integrate and leverage manually created unit tests
• Management Dashboard — set Developer Testing targets and measure progress and trends
• Risk Analysis — illustrate areas of high risk or complexity, enabling development teams to correctly prioritize testing activities

Thomas Murphy, director of application delivery strategies for the META Group, said, “There is a steep learning curve to introducing developer testing in large-scale projects. Industrial-strength automation tools and integration with the major software development IDEs will significantly accelerate the adoption.”

Agitar CEO Jerry Rudisin said, “Our exceptional Eclipse integration makes it natural, easy, and fun for developers to create and deliver unit tests with their Java code.”

In July, Agitar was named to the AO100, a list of the top privately held companies in the US compiled by media company AlwaysOn and accounting firm KPMG.

 
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