The end result is that you always know your code is working or not because you have hundreds if not thousands of tests that inform you what is working and what is not working every step of the way. When a test fails, you stop and fix it. You don't stop doing tests which is what the contractors did.
Instead, each time you write a new piece of code and test, you test everything. That way you know right away if your new piece of code breaks your website.
Also, when someone else needs to add to your code, they can look at your tests and more easily understand your code. If they change something, they can instantly know (by running your tests) if their changes will break the website.
The code for the Affordable Care Act website is found on Github (a public code repository). There is little in the way of testing. The only testing I found was from canned software programs the programmers used to jump start their feeble efforts.
The idea that having a demanding client in some way excuses a contractor for writing bad code is absurd. In my opinion, the contractors' approach to programming is unprofessional especially in a situation where numerous changes could be expected.
The spin doctors claim the fault lies with inadequate testing from CMS. That is an equally absurd claim. CMS runs Medicare. They are not programmers. They were not contracted to do the testing. The responsibility lies with the contractors who did the programming.
Another contractor error was to accommodate insurance carriers to an absurd degree. They should have had a form that all insurance carriers were required to fill out. That form would include all of the information required for them to participate in the exchanges. Instead, they allowed carriers to present different information which of course greatly complicated the programming task.
My conclusion is that we have yet another example of business failure being spun as a failure of the Obama administration.
