Telling the truth Quote by Kevin Harvey
““Testing and documentation have a crucial relationship—your tests prove that your documentation is telling the truth.””
About This Quote
Source Talk: Software Engineering Conference, 2020
Tests act as evidence that documentation accurately reflects system behavior, linking verification to description.
In simple terms: Tests verify documentation truth.
Key Takeaway
Use tests to validate docs.
Themes
software quality
documentation
testing
Mood
analytical
pragmatic
Type
technical
instructional
When to use this quote
- code reviews
- API design
- onboarding
- maintenance
- regulatory compliance
Key Concepts
verification
trust
clarity
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you keep docs and tests aligned?
- What risks arise when documentation is untested?
A Different Perspective
Documentation may become outdated if not kept in sync with code changes.
![“[Eugene Smith] was always writing these diatribes about truth, and how he wanted to tell the truth, the truth, the truth. It was a real rebel position. It was kind of like a teenager's position: why can't things be like they should be? Why can't I do what I want? I latched on to that philosophy…” quote by Larry Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e56/larry-clark-25877_hey_eugene-smith-was-always-writing-these-di_31228.jpg)
