When you comment such a failing test, then at the very least add the class and method to the issue. Otherwise it will be HELL to find the test again. Also, ensure that the method is commented with the JIRA issue number.
The test was already mentioned in the JIRA issue and of course I added a TODO with a reference to the JIRA issue in the test.
I agree that having dirty laundry for weeks gives a very bad smell, but that doesn't mean the laundry should be thrown away or completely hidden from sight.
Sure. But it isn't as there is a JIRA issue for it.
Submitting a failing unit test is not only a way to get attention: I can invest time to create unit tests that fail, but I can't always solve the problem or have the time to solve it (creating a unit test that fails for a particular bug is *HARD* and time consuming). So I see it also as a way to contribute.
Sure, but still unless they are intended to be fixed within one or two days, they should not block further builds unless the issue is really, really grave (in which case they should be marked blockers and in which case I would be fine with keeping the tests active).
Also, please note that when we move to JDK 1.5, we can put this discussion to rest, as we can annotate our tests to not run (JUnit 4.x). They will then be reported as skipped tests and not end up in oblivion. TestNG is also a possibility, but I overheard that the maven surefire plugin is not up to par.
That's perfect news. Exactly what we need in such cases. Eelco
