Testing ASP.NET MVC Filters

Testing controllers in ASP.NET MVC is straight forward.  However, testing action filters applied to controllers or actions requires jumping through a few hoops.  Since filters are applied by the framework, calling the action directly means no filters are executed.  Thus, you write two tests: one for the filter and one that the controller is decorated with the filter.

Software Hierarchy of Needs

In my advanced placement high school history class, one of the first things we covered was Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. I no longer remember the reason, or how we used it over the course of the year, but the idea that there is a pyramid of needs where lower levels must be fulfilled before moving to a higher level of existence stuck with me. For instance, it is impossible to make law and order a basic part of you living unless the basic needs of food, drink and shelter have been satisfied first. Recently I've been thinking about Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Software Organizations - the building blocks that a software organization must fulfill before considering the next tier of professionalism and success.