Reason why development is better than testing

Question

Hi,

I need some reasons why being a professional developer is better than being a professional tester. Any help would be great thanks.

P.S. Also if your opinion is that the reverse is true, it would be good to hear your points as well.

EDIT: OK just thought I would try and make it clearer. I am not trying to find out which is actually better. I am interested in peoples opinions as to why they personally prefer one over the other. I know they are different so you cant compare. But I am not comparing I just want to know why people prefer one over the other.

Answer 1

Development Pros:

• Development pays more.
• You don't have to test stuff

Testing Pros:

• You get to break stuff

Seriously though, your career choice should be based on what you like doing. Doing something for the rest of your life that you don't enjoy wont be much fun :)

Answer 2

You get to make stuff.

Answer 3

A developer could do more: a developer could also do testing, however a tester may not be able to develop.

Answer 4

IMO, Development and Testing are both distinctly different fields of specialization nowadays.

Being that, it would be difficult to compare them as they perform two distinctly different tasks.

Also, nowadays, just like development, testing has its own set of processes, tools etc.

Even in terms of pay scale etc, Testers were definitely on the lower end but that is rapidly changing. Both the pay and prestige involved with testing is rapidly coming to a almost - par level with Development, atleast in big enterprises where the Business understands the need of good functional testers and the value that they bring.

So, to summarize, you cannot compare them both as it is akin to comparing apples v/s oranges.

Answer 5

Development is for lazy people: It is easier and needs less creativity.

Development is boring: You need to write tons of documentations and conform to these stupid coding rules and ISO/CMM quality stuff.

Development is not rewarding: You have to admit that you are responsible for that ugly bug the smart tester found and you have to fix it as soon as possible (yesterday is better). And don't forget to tell about it to code change history, to source control, to issue tracker and to the rest of the world.

Answer 6

As someone said, developers make stuff. On the other hand, testers break stuff. Both can be fun at times, frustrating at times, and tedious at times. Both require ingenuity to be really good at them. And neither has a job without the other.

Also there's more than one kind of testing: white box; black box; usability; accessibility. Each involves doing rather different sorts of tasks for rather different reasons.

Ultimately, the question of which is better is about what does one enjoy doing.

Answer 7

Both are good career paths, if you are committed and hard working enough.

I worked with a testing team lead in India a while back, he was paid more than all of the devs and definately added as much value than any one other person in the team.

Answer 8

development is harder. you have to write production code, not only test to see if code works [or not].

Answer 9

I'm an Android tester and it's far from easy. Don't get stuck in either, only when understanding both mindsets you'll be a kick-ass technical leader later on.

Answer 10

The question itself is subject to subjectivity, but my 2 cents:

The developer almost never gets payed in terms of gratefulness. But on the other hand he for himself can build something, build a product, create something (when he's not the pure coder and plays a part in designing the system.) Well, but thats not that big of a deal when reward is good.

The tester has a more direct path to gratefulness since he is the one that guarantees the functionality and success.

As far as the nerves and stressability is concerned, the tester has definately the "better" job, since developers sometimes tend to get things personally (test reports, error lists etc.), though it is not meant that way.

But, developers can maintain the illusion of being more important.

Answer 11

The developer and the tester :: A Samurai and a Zen Master

A samurai, a very proud warrior, came to see a Zen Master one day. The samurai was very famous, but looking at the beauty of the Master and the Grace of the moment, he suddenly felt inferior. He said to the Master, "Why am I feeling inferior? Just a moment ago everything was okay. As I entered your court suddenly I felt inferior. I have never felt like that before. I have faced death many times, and I have never felt any fear - - why am I now feeling frightened?" The Master said, "Wait. When everyone else has gone, I will answer. "

People continued the whole day to come and see the Master, and the samurai was getting more and more tired waiting. By evening the room was empty, and the samurai said, "Now, can you answer me?" The Master said, "Come outside." It was a full moon night, the moon was just rising on the horizen. And he said, "Look at these trees. This tree is high in the sky and this small one beside it. They both have existed beside my window for years, and there has never been any problem. The smaller tree has never said to the big tree, 'Why do I feel inferior before you?' This tree is small, and that tree is big -- why have I never heard a whisper of it?"

The samurai said, "Because they can't compare." The Master replied, "Then you need not ask me. You know the answer."

Answer 12

Development involves a great deal more creativity in designing a solution from requirements whereas Testing involves understanding the problems the system is trying to solve and then attempting to use that knowledge to break the system.