FitNesse is a great Web-based collaboration tool for software testing, which can really help to test- drive the code and build a framework for holding the project together during big changes and re- factoring. It makes writing and running automated tests easy and allows test-driven software teams to share knowledge and expectations. Under the hub, FitNesse runs FIT (Framework for Integrated Testing). Both FitNesse and FIT are open-source tools, and together they are very popular as a testing framework in the Java community. Although FitNesse supports testing .Net code, some things don’t quite work out of the box or do not follow official on-line documentation. However, the integration is stable, and I guarantee that the effort required to start using FitNesse is worth it.

This is a guide to help you get started with FitNesse. I will not try to make a case for automated tests or test-driven development here, nor explain all the benefits of FitNesse. Here are just a few advantages of using FIT/FitNesse combination for testing:
- It is easy to write complex tests
- Tests are easy to read and understand
- FitNesse promotes collaboration between team members (and customers)
- Test-specific code is very thin, and it looks much more like an integration layer then typical testing code
I will refer to FIT/FitNesse combination in this document simply as FitNesse – although it might not be 100% correct, it will simplify the story. This is a beginners guide and you will be working directly with FitNesse, and I do not want to confuse you from the start.

Why are we here?
You are here, I presume, because you are interested in automated testing, especially testing .Net code. I will make a few more assumptions and say that you know at least the basics of .Net development, expect to get some benefits from code test coverage, and have a project that you want to cover with tests. Also, you want to know what all the buzz with FitNesse is about.

I am here because I was in that same position recently, and spent a lot of time experimenting with FitNesse. I banged my head against the brick wall quite a few times, especially due the lack of good documentation about .Net FitNesse integration. Although the journey was not without problems, the results are really great – and I want to help you to cross those few first bridges easier. This is by no means a comprehensive text-book on everything you can do with these tools. Consider it more as a short tourist guide to get you on your way to the wonderful world of FitNesse.

It covers:
- Setting up a FitNesse server for testing .Net code
- Writing basic tests, performing common tasks
- Saving time and effort with specialised test types
- Tips and tricks for writing better tests and making test pages easier to read
- Managing content with FitNesse
- Organising tests into test suites

Download pdf Getting Fit with .Net