The Coder and The Tester

© 1999 Harry Robinson

(to the tune of “The Farmer and the Cowman” from “Oklahoma!”)

Manager:

Oh, the coder and the tester should be friends

Yes, the coder and the tester should be friends

Coder writes an app with ease

Tester brings it to its knees

But that’s no reason why they can’t be friends

Testers need to work with coders

Coders need to work with test

All of us must work together

‘least until my options vest!

Managers chorus:

Testers need to work with coders

Coders need to work with test

All of us must work together

‘least until our options vest!

Coder:

I’d like to say a word for the coder

Who hacks good code while bad caffeine ingesting

“It’s elegant” he shrugs

“But all I’ll hear about is bugs”

Tester:

So maybe you should try some unit testing!

Manager:

Oh, the coder and the tester should be friends

Yes, the coder and the tester should be friends

Testers file bugs for kicks

Coders mark them “will not fix”

But that’s no reason why they can’t be friends

Manager chorus:

Testers need to work with coders

Coders need to work with test

All of us must work together

‘least until my options vest!

Tester:

I’d like to say a word for the testers

Whom unenlightened souls consider flunkies

They don’t get no respect

For all the defects they detect

Coder:

Someday you all will be replaced by monkeys!

Manager chorus: Oh, the coder and the tester should be friends

Yes, the coder and the tester should be friends

Some folks like to optimize

Some folks like to criticize

But that’s no reason why they can’t be friends

CEO (slowly):

‘Cuz if some crappy software gets released

And we get pounded by the competition

The coder and the tester then

May wish they’d worked in sync

But once you’re sunk it’s just too late for wishin’!

All:

The coder and the tester then

May wish they’d worked in sync

But once you’re sunk it’s just too late for wishin’!

Oh, the coder and the tester should be friends

Yes, the coder and the tester should be friends

Some folks get their thrills from breaking

Software other folks are making

And each one on the other one depends.