What were you doing five years ago? IBM zUnit knows

16 January, 2017
Chris Sayles
IBM

IBM z Unit has been busy for the last five years, but let’s take a look back and compare. Five years ago, Game of Thrones season one had just aired, Kim Kardashian blew through her first marriage (which lasted 72 days!), Charlie Sheen was fired from Two and a Half Men and IBM made IDz’s zUnit generally available as part of version 8.5.1, based on user demand.

As a first-of-its-kind, trailblazing technology, zUnit stayed true to the underlying xUnit framework and program patterns. It brought along as many of the proven distributed terms, concepts and benefits as possible.

This includes, but is not limited to, scenarios such as:

  • Common Business Oriented Language (COBOL) parameter-based subroutine testing
  • PL/I parameter-based subroutine testing
  • COBOL subroutine testing — when the subroutine reads and writes both sequential (QSAM) and indexed (VSAM) files
  • PL/I subroutine testing — when the subroutine reads and writes both sequential (QSAM) and indexed (VSAM) files
  • Combinations of parameter-driven and file input/output (I/O) testing
  • Standalone (monolithic) COBOL batch testing for both queued sequential access method (QSAM) and Virtual Stored Access Method (VSAM) files
  • Dynamically redefine fields to capture testing problem areas such as garbage in numeric data
  • Support for programs that call DB2 and use embedded Structured Query Language (SQL)
  • Support for combinations of debugging plus zUnit test plus code coverage
  • Automation of job control language (JCL) for all test-case’s persistence and reuse

In the last five years (since RDz 8.5.1), the product has been transformed through six major releases. Five years of customer input has made zUnit more feature-rich and flexible with better workflow design, automated setup, simpler test-data input and editing, formal training and the build out of a product ecosystem with worldwide partners — and much more.

IBM has been busy delivering state-of-the-art tooling based on proven technology. It’s hard to compete with the power of the real, tried and tested functionality offered by our tools.

The above list speaks to zUnit’s maturity and depth, but seeing (as they say) is believing. Please take the time to watch this video from two of the pioneers of zUnit. Also, download and check out this article for a technical deep-dive and more information on overall product features.

Email me today to schedule a technical session for your teams or to hear more about how zUnit can fit into your IT shop’s development picture.

The post What were you doing five years ago? IBM zUnit knows appeared first on IBM Systems Blog: In the Making.